New UMMS Elective Surgery Policy Implemented

BALTIMORE, Md. — March 16, 2020 — The University of Maryland Medical System/University of Maryland Baltimore, in coordination with Johns Hopkins Health System, is postponing all elective, non-emergent procedures, beginning Wednesday, March 18, and continuing for a two-week period until April 1, as part of the System’s COVID-19 response to managing a potential increase in patient volume. This action is designed to provide additional capacity for UMMS hospitals to treat those patients in greatest need.

“Consistent with our priority to protect our patients and staff, our decision is guided by the need to minimize the risk of exposing surgical patients to COVID-19, minimize the potential for high-risk exposure to surgical and peri-operative staff from unrecognized and asymptomatic carriers of COVID-19, minimize risk within the hospital environment from potential exposure consistent with social distancing principles, and ensure adequate availability of supplies and equipment that can be redirected to the care of COVID-19 patients,” said David Marcozzi, MD, UMMS COVID-19 Incident Commander. “This is a rapidly-changing dynamic and we need to plan ahead. Emergent and urgent procedures as defined by a patient’s care team that are necessary for a patient’s health and time sensitive will continue.”

This policy will be reassessed weekly for the following two-week period.