This includes Union Hospital, Union Hospital Clinton and the Wabash Valley Surgery Center. The announcement follows Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb’s plea on Monday.
Among a list of increased steps to slow the spread of COVID-19, Holcomb said "hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers should cancel and/or postpone elective and non-urgent surgical procedures immediately. This action will help the healthcare system conserve resources and personnel necessary to meet emerging health needs. Physicians should continue to perform critical procedures necessary to prevent short-term and/or long-term adverse effects on their patients’ overall health."
Union Health officials say the mission is to decrease the exposure of the COVID-19 virus to its patients and staff, as well as preserve vital resources to combat the global pandemic.
Dr. Rebecca Lynch, Chief of Surgery at Union Hospital, says “non-urgent elective” includes surgeries and procedures that can be reasonably deferred without an immediate threat to the health and safety of the patient.
Health officials say this will also allow Union Health to decrease traffic in the main thoroughfares and keep many outpatients separate from inpatients.