St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Lewiston is resuming certain elective and non-urgent surgeries that had been on hold because of the coronavirus.
The largest hospital in the region previously postponed some procedures to preserve resources in case the number of COVID-19 patients in the community escalated, according to a news release issued Wednesday by St. Joe’s.
“Current projections indicate a lower than expected volume of COVID-19 in the region, which means less strain on health care resources,” according to the news release, which doesn’t provide statistics about the numbers of cases in the region versus what was anticipated.
Hospital spokeswoman Sam Skinner declined to answer any follow-up questions about the news release.
As of Wednesday, north central Idaho had 59 confirmed cases of COVID-19, nine probable cases and 16 deaths, according to public health officials.
The tally in southeastern Washington was 34 confirmed cases and two deaths.
St. Joe’s isn’t the only hospital revising its approach as health care providers adjust to the coronavirus situation.
Gritman Medical Center in Moscow started on Monday completing elective procedures that had been delayed, said hospital spokesman Peter Mundt.
What’s making the shift possible are guidelines outlined April 17 in a joint statement of the American College of Surgeons, American Society of Anesthesiologists, Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses and the American Hospital Association, he said.
Gritman’s staff now knows more about COVID-19 and has equipment and an inventory of medicines and personal protective equipment along with procedures to protect patients and staff, Mundt said.
St. Joe’s didn’t share its exact time table.
New safety protocols will be in place when the services are offered again at St. Joe’s, including requiring patients to be tested for COVID-19.
“Surgical patients ... will be asked to practice ‘safer at home’ behaviors, for seven days prior to their procedure to minimize potential exposure; check their temperature and report temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit to their provider; practice good hand hygiene and undergo testing for COVID-19,” according to the news release.
Those precautions are in addition to those previously introduced at St. Joe’s that will continue. They involve screening and masking everyone who enters the hospital and prohibitions on visitors.
Gritman is doing something similar. Surgical patients are being tested for COVID-19 before their procedures and being asked to isolate at home, abiding by social distancing rules after their sample is collected, Mundt said.
“Our surgical teams, operating rooms, equipment and protocols have all been enhanced during COVID-19 to implement the best practices to protect patients and staff,” he said.
St. Joe’s and Gritman aren’t the only hospitals in the region gradually getting back to normal.
Syringa Hospital in Grangeville last week shared it has started offering routine care again with enhanced safety measures.
Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.