St. Louis Regional Health Systems Announce Cancellation of Elective Procedures, Effective Monday, March 23
In an effort to protect patients and caregivers from the spread of COVID-19 infection, a group of St. Louis health care providers including BJC HealthCare and its partners at Washington University School of Medicine, Mercy, SSM Health and its partners at Saint Louis University School of Medicine, and St. Luke’s Hospital have announced the cancellation of elective procedures, effective Monday, March 23.
“This measure is intended to ensure that only urgent or time-sensitive procedures are provided, to protect our caregivers and the communities we serve, and to conserve the resources needed for the COVID-19 health crisis," the health systems said in a joint statement. “Our regional health systems have been working together, and will continue to do so, to consistently and transparently address issues our communities are encountering during this epidemic.”
“Elective” care is classified as care that can be delayed for eight weeks or more without risk to patients or families, and without compromising standards of care. These actions are in line with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the American College of Surgeons, the Surgeon General and other specialty organizations.
The health systems will reevaluate processes as the situation evolves and will provide notice when it’s appropriate to resume normal processes.
Patients who currently have elective health procedures scheduled will be contacted by their health care provider to discuss rescheduling. If patients have a procedure scheduled and are unsure of its status, it’s recommended to contact your physician or care provider.
Clay Dunagan, MD
Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer
BJC HealthCare
Keith Starke, MD
Senior Vice President and Chief Quality Officer
Mercy
Alexander Garza, MD, MPH
Chief Medical Officer
SSM Health
J. William Campbell, MD
Infectious Disease Specialist
Medical Director, St. Luke’s Medical Group
BJC HealthCare is one of the largest nonprofit health care organizations in the United States, delivering services to residents primarily in the greater St. Louis, southern Illinois and mid-Missouri regions. Serving the health care needs of urban, suburban and rural communities, BJC includes 15 hospitals and multiple health service organizations. Services include inpatient and outpatient care, primary care, community health and wellness, workplace health, home health, community mental health, rehabilitation, long-term care and hospice. BJC’s nationally recognized academic hospitals, Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s hospitals, are affiliated with Washington University School of Medicine.
Mercy, named one of the top five large U.S. health systems for four consecutive years (2016 to 2019) by IBM Watson Health, serves millions annually. Mercy includes more than 40 acute care, managed and specialty (heart, children’s, orthopedic and rehab) hospitals, 900 physician practices and outpatient facilities, 45,000 co-workers and 2,400 Mercy Clinic physicians in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Mercy also has clinics, outpatient services and outreach ministries in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. In addition, Mercy's IT division, Mercy Technology Services, and Mercy Virtual commercially serve providers and patients from coast to coast.
SSM Health is a Catholic, not-for-profit health system serving the comprehensive health needs of communities across the Midwest through a robust and fully integrated health care delivery system. The organization’s more than 40,000 employees and 10,000 providers are committed to providing exceptional health care services and revealing God’s healing presence to everyone they serve. SSM Health in St. Louis operates 8 hospitals, 6 urgent care locations, 23 SSM Health Express Clinic at
Walgreens and more than 35 medical offices in the area. For more information, visit us at ssmhealth.com or find us on Facebook and Twitter.
St. Luke’s Hospital is an independent, nonprofit healthcare provider committed to improving the quality of life for its patients and the community. Since its founding in 1866, St. Luke’s has grown from a single hospital location to an advanced network of care. It provides personalized healthcare services in over 60 specialty areas at its 493-bed hospital in Chesterfield, Mo. and 143-bed St. Luke’s Des Peres Hospital. It also offers more than 30 other locations across the greater St. Louis area, bringing quality healthcare services close to home. St. Luke’s is nationally-recognized for quality care and consistently earns high patient satisfaction scores. In St. Louis, St. Luke’s is the exclusive alliance provider for the nation’s No. 1 heart hospital, the Cleveland Clinic Heart, Vascular and Thoracic Institute. For more information, visit stlukes-stl.com.