In an effort to conserve medical supplies and PPE during the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order directing health care providers to cancel elective procedures. But, as part of phase one of DeSantis’s plan to reopen the state’s economy, hospitals can now begin scheduling non-emergency procedures again.

“We took a lot of these actions to be able to prevent the hospitals from being overwhelmed. That obviously has succeeded, we have not seen that in Florida, but because all these other things were not happening, a lot of hospitals had to furlough workers and so some of the capacity was actually diminished on the back end, so this will allow the system to start running again like it should. Obviously, it will be good for people’s health,” said DeSantis.

After the news broke, Hendry Regional Medical Center announced that they will resume elective surgeries beginning Monday, May 11, 2020 utilizing strict guidelines to keep patients and staff safe.

“For the past two months surgeries and other elective procedures were placed on hold while the dedicated staff at HRMC stood on the front lines and battled the COVID19 pandemic within the community,” read a post on the HRMC Facebook page.

“I could not be more proud of the staff I have the honor of leading. They have gone above and beyond to serve our community during this difficult time,” stated R.D. Williams, CEO, “We are all looking forward to once again offering full service healthcare in a safe manner for all.”

“New and existing elective surgery procedures will resume with strict safety guidelines in place. Ongoing safety measures include: no visitors, screening questions for all patients prior to entry, separation of negative pressure COVID unit, available ICU unit, and all staff and patients required to wear face masks,” the Facebook explained. “A new safety measure for patients seeking elective general surgery is the requirement that a COVID19 test be administered and results obtained prior to the surgery date. Patients must receive a negative result from this required pre-operative test.”

“We continue to evaluate our safety procedures and make the necessary changes to ensure the safety of our patients and staff,” stated Williams. HRMC promised continue to work with local, state and federal agencies to ensure the safety and highest quality of healthcare are provided to all.

Hendry Regional Medical Center is located at 524 West Sagamore Avenue in Clewiston. The facility has two state of the art surgery suites with an additional procedure unit. To schedule an appointment with a HRMC general surgeon you may call 863-983-5026. You can also visit HRMC online at https://www.hrmc.us/