NCH Healthcare System will resume elective surgeries as omicron cases decline

The NCH Healthcare System will resume elective surgeries Monday because of declining COVID-19 admissions.

The hospital system in Collier County halted elective procedures for two weeks starting Jan. 17 when admissions from the omicron variant of COVID-19 were steadily on the rise.

Patients who were impacted by a delayed procedure should call their physician.

“Those who may have been recently impacted by the closure of elective surgeries may contact their doctor’s office to inquire about getting on the schedule for a procedure that may have been postponed,” NCH said in news release.

In case you missed it: Southwest Florida hospitals restrict care as workers fall to COVID — during busiest time of year

Previously: Collier County COVID-19 vaccine tracker: 72% of people fully vaccinated

The publicly operated Lee Health in Lee County suspended elective surgeries that require an overnight stay Jan. 7 and has not announced they are resuming.

Procedures at Lee Health where patients can go home the same day have not been impacted.

Both hospital systems temporarily halted elective procedures during the delta variant surge last summer to address capacity strains on hospital beds. Elective procedures were stopped during the first wave of the pandemic in 2020 by order of Gov. Ron DeSantis.

As of Thursday when NCH announced it would restart elective procedures, the system had 136 patients with COVID-19.

NCH’s total patient census for all medical conditions stood at 565 hospitalizations. The system with two campuses has a combined 713 beds.

Lee Health had 279 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 Thursday.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Elective surgeries to resume at NCH Healthcare; no word at Lee Health