Delaying Essential Care During COVID-19

For a few months, routine health procedures and elective surgeries weren’t available because of the threat of COVID-19. That’s because, in addition to safer-at-home orders keeping people in their homes, there was a need to keep hospital rooms, medical staff and personal protective equipment reserved for COVID patients, in case there was a big spike in cases.

But, now that our state and cities have started opening back up, is it okay to schedule those less-urgent procedures, or should you wait?

The answer really lies with you and your own level of comfort, your doctor’s advice, and the policies of your medical facility. You should also consider whether you are past-due for an important screening or diagnostic test, or if the procedure you have been postponing will improve your health or quality of life.

Understand that at BayCare facilities, we are implementing stringent policies designed to keep our patients and our staff safe and healthy. If you and your doctor decide that now is the time for an elective surgery or other procedure, then we encourage you to make an appointment as soon as possible—many appointments had to be canceled or rescheduled during the spring months and, as a result, we are seeing a sharp increase in demand as our offices reopen and more services become available.