Northwest Health’s hospitals resume elective surgeries, procedures

In accordance with Governor Asa Hutchinson’s executive order and following the processes defined by the Arkansas Department of Health, Northwest Health resumed elective surgeries and procedures this week. These services were halted last month to comply with state orders.

“Our leadership teams and medical staffs have been working collaboratively on plans to restart our elective surgery program with the goals of ensuring the safety of our patients, physicians and staff,” said Denten Park, market chief executive officer for the system. “As always, our goal is to provide our community with the quality healthcare services they expect from Northwest Health in a safe environment. Additional safeguards, such as screening of each person as they enter our facilities and limitation of visitors, further minimizes any risks to patients and staff.”

In addition to standard environmental safety procedures, Northwest Health is continuing these additional protocols to ensure the health and safety of its patients, physicians and staff. These include:

• Limiting entry points into the facilities;

• Screening everyone who enters the hospitals according to CDC guidelines — this includes staff, patients and visitors;

• Requiring patients, visitors, physicians and staff members to wear masks while in the hospitals;

• Maintaining social distancing protocols;

• Restricting visitors, with exceptions made for some patients including laboring and C-section mothers, pediatric patients, NICU patients, surgical patients and endof-life situations;

• Isolating any COVID-19 positive patients and those awaiting COVID-19 test results to designated quarantine areas;

• Performing pre-admission testing in designated areas to limit traffic within the hospital;

• Testing all surgical patients for COVID-19, as required, during preadmission testing;

• Requiring all surgical patients to self-quarantine once COVID-19 testing is performed.

“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, our patients’ and caregivers’ health and safety have been our primary concern,” Park said. “We are ramping up slowly to give ample opportunity to evaluate the processes we

have in place and make adjustments as needed. Patients can be assured that we are taking every precaution to protect them and their families.”

To initiate care or reschedule a procedure that had to be postponed, patients should contact their physician or health care provider.

In the case of an emergency, people should call 911.

Seeking treatment for symptoms of a heart attack, stroke or other lifethreatening emergencies should never be delayed.

About Northwest Health

Northwest Health is the largest health system in Northwest Arkansas with five hospitals: Northwest Medical Center — Bentonville, Northwest Medical Center — Springdale, Northwest Medical Center — Willow Creek Women’s Hospital, Siloam Springs

Regional Hospital and Northwest Health Physicians’ Specialty Hospital. The system has 487 beds, a combined medical staff of more than 900 physicians and more than 2,400 associates working together to provide quality healthcare for the region. Northwest Health Physicians’ Specialty Hospital is owned in part by physicians.