Albany, N.Y. (WBEN) - More restrictions for hospitals across New York State and the Department of Health has updated its list of hospitals now required to cease elective and non-urgent procedures for at least two weeks as a result of COVID hospitalization numbers.
Ten hospitals in Western New York are on the updated list.
Erie County:
Bertrand Chaffee Hospital
Erie County Medical Center
Mercy Hospital of Buffalo
Sisters of Charity Hospital
Niagara County:
Mount St. Mary's Hospital and Health Center, Lewiston
Cattaraugus County:
Olean General Hospital, Olean
Chautauqua County:
Brooks-TLC Hospital, Dunkirk
Genesee County:
United Memorial Medical Center, Batavia
Orleans County:
Medina Memorial hospital, Medina
Wyoming County:
Wyoming County Community Hospital, Warsaw
Statewide, 40 hospitals have been notified to stop non-essential non-urgent elective surgeries after having met the state's threshold for "high risk regions" or low capacity facilities.
On November 26, in preparation for the anticipated COVID-19 winter surge, Governor Hochul signed an Executive Order to ensure hospital capacity statewide is able to meet regional needs while maintaining the long-term resiliency of the State's healthcare infrastructure. The order also enables New York State to quickly acquire and distribute critical supplies to combat the pandemic. The Department issued related Guidance to hospitals on December 3.
"We will use every available tool to help ensure that hospitals can manage the COVID-19 winter surge," said Acting State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett. "I want to remind New Yorkers that getting vaccinated and boosted remain the best way to protect against serious illness and hospitalization from COVID-19. Vaccination also protects our hospital system. We cannot return to the early months of the pandemic when hospitals were overwhelmed."
Based on the weekly assessment conducted by NYSDOH the listed facilities must stop performing in-hospital elective surgery. If their occupancy is above 95%, they are additionally required to stop elective surgeries at hospital-owned ambulatory surgical centers for a minimum of two weeks.
