HCA expands elective surgery deferrals
July 9, 2020 - HCA Healthcare West Florida hospitals in seven Florida counties will delay certain inpatient surgeries and procedures, effective Saturday, July 11, to free up capacity for COVID patients. On July 6, HCA put some inpatient surgeries and procedures on hold in its four Pinellas County hospitals — St. Petersburg General Hospital, Northside Hospital, Palms of Pasadena Hospital and Largo Medical Center. Now, the delay is expanding to HCA hospitals in Hillsborough, Pasco, Hernando, Citrus, Manatee, Sarasota and Charlotte counties, a news release said. The hospitals are working with surgeons to identify appropriate patients for postponement of procedures that typically require a post-surgical inpatient stay. Patients whose procedures will be delayed will be contacted by their surgeon. The postponement does not affect hospital-based outpatient surgeries or procedures, nor those performed at HCA Healthcare ambulatory surgery centers.