Private Surgery After Covid-19

With medical wait times increasing for elective surgeries due to Covid-19 restrictions, some of you may be searching for information about your potential private options. Below is an update on what is being done or considered being done at the private surgical facilities we work with in the US.

As you already know, some of the southern United States lifted a number of restrictions. Depending on the state, many are resuming elective surgeries. Certain safety provisions and requirements must be met. Those are mandated by the state’s Department of Public Health.

Each facility we work with is accredited not only by the state (which is a requirement) but by another accrediting body in the US. We reached out to two of them, AAAASF (American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities) and AAAHC (Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Healthcare) to ask what they have in place.

AAACH advised that they have a number of resources available to their members on their website, but that they defer to a state department of public health for further guidance on reopening as those will differ from state to state.

AAAASF offered a similar answer and added that they conduct onsite resurvey and that they ask all facilities in their resurvey year reopening to submit policies and procedures to ensure that all infection control and patient safety requirements are in place.

Health Vantis is keeping an eye on the states governments announcements and their public health departments directives. So far, we see that there are several things that are being mandated by each opening state, such as pre-op COVID testing requirement: negative Covid-19 test results within 48h or 7 days, depending on the state. Some require staff and doctors continuous testing as well.  Another one is sufficient supplies of PPE to be stocked at a facility and enhanced cleaning protocols.

We are also keeping in touch with all the facilities we work with so that we get pertinent information on their developments. It is not clear yet how soon we will be able to send someone for medical travel. In our next blog we will talk about when it will be safe to travel for medical reasons.

Meanwhile, there are certain things you are still able to do remotely:

• Reach out to your physiotherapist or chiropractor to ask them what exercises you can do at home. If your condition changed, be sure to mention all the details.
• If your condition worsens dramatically, contact your doctor to tell them the new information. Most family doctors are able to do a phone consultation or a virtual appointment.
• Consider your private options for the future. By getting a medical records review done with Health Vantis you are not obligated to proceed. However, should you decide that your post-COVID wait time is too long, you will be ready.