Tri-City hospitals restarting elective surgeries halted during the coronavirus pandemic

The three Tri-Cities hospitals are once again accepting patients for elective and non-urgent surgeries.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee restricted elective surgeries on March 19, such as joint replacements and non-urgent cardiac procedures, to preserve personal protective equipment for healthcare workers caring for COVID-19 patients.

Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland began doing previously restricted surgeries last week.

Trios Southridge Hospital in Kennewick and Lourdes Medical Center in Pasco said this week that they are taking steps to safely resume more surgeries and procedures.

“Resuming these important services is an essential component of meeting our community’s health needs,” said John Solheim, chief executive of Trios Health.

Trios and Lourdes will initially focus on scheduling patients with the most time-sensitive health needs.

Patients who had procedures postponed at the Kennewick or Pasco hospitals because of restrictions related to the new coronavirus pandemic will be contacted to discuss rescheduling as the hospitals are ready for them.

Surgery patients will be asked to stay mostly at home for seven days before their procedure and check their temperature twice a day that week. They also must undergo testing for COVID-19.

Kadlec said it had been following a coordinated plan to stay connected with patients and is doing pre-surgery screening to ensure the safety of patients and caregivers.

Hospitals are required to have adequate personal protective equipment, such as masks and gowns, on hand to also deal with COVID-19 cases before resuming elective and non-urgent surgeries.

Rob Monical, chief executive at Lourdes Health, said the hospital remains committed to conserving critical supplies while ensuring the hospital is a safe place for patients, providers and employees.