At the urging of the U.S. Surgeon General and multiple professional medical societies, WVU Medicine will defer all elective, non-emergent surgeries and gastrointestinal (GI) procedures starting Thursday.
Procedures will be scheduled for dates after May 15.
This applies to all WVU Medicine facilities: J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital and WVU Medicine Children’s in Morgantown; Berkeley Medical Center in Martinsburg; Braxton County Memorial Hospital in Gassaway; Camden Clark Medical Center in Parkersburg; Jackson General Hospital in Ripley; Jefferson Medical Center in Ranson; Potomac Valley Hospital in Keyser; Reynolds Memorial Hospital in Glen Dale; St. Joseph’s Hospital in Buckhannon; Summersville Regional Medical Center in Summersville; and United Hospital Center in Bridgeport.
The working definition of an “elective surgery or procedure” is one that can be safely deferred until after May 15.
The decision to defer an elective surgery or procedure is at the discretion of the surgeon or the proceduralist, who has the final authority to determine if the procedure or surgery is truly elective.
WVU Medicine will rely on individual physician discretion to determine which cases are delayed and will contact patients regarding their scheduled elective procedures and surgeries.
The decision to defer elective surgeries and procedures comes on the heels of WVU Medicine’s decision to restrict visitation at all of its hospitals.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, due to the rapidly changing nature of the spread of COVID-19 around the world, it is important for families and businesses to remain calm and prepare for potential community spread.
