Morrison Community Hospital to resume elective surgeries, other procedures, starting Tuesday

MORRISON – Starting Tuesday, Morrison Community Hospital will begin to phase back in its elective surgeries and procedures.

“This planning has been led by our clinicians, and we are prepared to safely introduce elective procedures," Dr. George Georgiev, MCH medical director, said in a news release.

Family members who bring surgical patients to the hospital will be asked to wait in their cars, and patients' temperatures will be taken at the door. Staff will provide families updates via cellphones.

Patients younger than 18 will be allowed one family member and/or guardian to accompany them, as will anyone who must use a wheelchair.

The Illinois Department of Public Health recently released guidelines to allow hospitals to return to elective surgeries on Monday.

“We will continue to implement CDC recommended infection control precautions with enhanced safeguards to minimize exposure,” MCH CEO Pam Pfister, said.

Those safeguards include:

• Screening all employees for symptoms before they begin their work day, taking their temperatures immediately upon arrival, before they interact with patients.

• Screening all patients for COVID-19 symptoms before any surgery or procedure.

• Testing all surgical patients for COVID-19 within 72 hours of surgery.

• Continuing to perform rigorous disinfecting measures throughout the hospital and its clinics.

• Continuing to ban visitors and vendors.

• Requiring all staff, visitors, and patients older than 2 to wear a mask. Patients are encouraged to bring and use their own.

* Maintaining social distancing, for which waiting rooms have been rearranged.

* Allowing no more than 10 people at a time at the first-floor Family Care Clinic.

With the reintroduction of elective procedures, staff also will begin contacting patients to schedule procedures, based on those with the most immediate needs.

The clinic also will continue to employ telehealth appointments and gradually will be scheduling face-to-face visits. All clinic patients will be asked to wait in their vehicles and be screened before being allowed inside.

“Our return to surgery and clinic services approach is in compliance with county, state, and federal guidelines," Pfister said.

"Our staff is working closely with our physicians to keep our patients, associates, and community safe through this time of transition.”

Patients can call MCH at 815-772-5511 for more information on elective surgeries.