The health system announced in a joint statement on Friday, December 3, that the Cleveland Clinic, MetroHealth, and University Hospitals are all adjusting or reducing the schedule of some non-emergency procedures in response to the latest surge in the number of COVID-19 patients.

“The safety of patients and caregivers remains our top priority,” the statement read. “This action frees up resources for patients with immediate and life-threatening needs and manages the demand for frontline caregivers who have performed well throughout the pandemic.”

The statement stated that these systems saw an “unprecedented” demand for inpatient care in their facilities, and the number of unvaccinated patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 has increased significantly, causing hospitals in many locations to approach full capacity. More than 90% of COVID-19 patients in the ICU are not vaccinated, and most vaccinated patients who are hospitalized have underlying health problems.

The statement read: “We urge all eligible people to get vaccinated.”

The number of COVID-19-positive patients hospitalized at UH hit a record high, while the Cleveland Clinic Hospital and MetroHealth System both saw an increase in the number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

According to the joint press release, the specific voluntary adjustments for each system are as follows:

• From Monday, December 6, to Monday, January 3, 2022, Clinic Arrangements for additional non-emergency inpatient operations will be suspended, which require hospital beds in its Ohio State-with the exception of Euclid Hospital and Luther Hospital. Basic and emergency surgeries — as well as heart, cancer, pediatric, and transplant surgeries, as well as outpatient surgeries that do not require hospital beds — will continue to be scheduled, and as the pandemic continues, clinics will continue to evaluate patients for scheduled surgery.

• Urban health Some elective surgeries have begun to be postponed to free up hospital space in response to the high demand for inpatient care involving COVID and non-COVID cases.The system is also exercising other options to deal with the latest surge, including encouraging more use of its home hospital program

• Uh Certain non-emergency surgeries that require short-term hospitalization are being rescheduled at UH Cleveland Medical Center. UH Cleveland Medical Center continues to perform emergency surgery and outpatient surgery and procedures that do not involve overnight stays. UH continues to perform various types of operations and procedures in its community hospitals, although the statement stated that “the situation is changeable and may change.” UH doctors treat patients as normal people, and UH laboratories and testing centers remain open.

According to the joint statement, “we can still provide care for patients who encounter emergencies, life-threatening diseases, or prescribed screening or testing, as well as provide outpatient operations that do not require beds.”

This story first appeared in our sister publication “Crane’s Cleveland Business”.