With the recent announcement by Governor Wolf permitting elective surgeries and procedures to resume at healthcare facilities, Evangelical Community Hospital is implementing a methodical, phased approach in operations.
“This isn’t going to be a flip of the switch and we’re back to normal,” said Kendra Aucker, President and CEO. “We have to maintain our ability to address the continued presence of COVID-19 in the community and remain nimble enough to respond to a possible surge.”
The safest way to start the process of re-opening at Evangelical will be with outpatient facilities.
Opening Monday, May 4, 2020:
- Endoscopy Center
- Gastroenterology
- Endocrinology
- Rheumatology
- Neurology
- Palliative Medicine
- Psychology
The Hospital’s primary care offices will continue operating in a consolidated model. Currently, primary care providers are seeing patients in:
- Lewisburg
- Selinsgrove
- Milton
- Mifflinburg
OB/GYN, the Heart and Vascular Center, Wound/Hyperbaric Medicine, and Center for Breast Health will also continue as they have been operating. These practices have been seeing patients on a modified schedule throughout the pandemic.
SUN Orthopaedics and Surgical Specialists will continue to see patients at The Center for Orthopaedics, 210 JPM Road. All other SUN Orthopaedics locations will remain closed.
The Physical Therapy clinics will begin to expand their appointment schedules to accommodate patients who were unable to complete their therapy prior to the clinic closures. The clinics that are currently closed will remain closed until the open clinics are operating at capacity.
Open Physical Therapy clinics:
- Selinsgrove (Susquehanna Valley Mall Drive)
- Mifflinburg (Forrest Hill)
- Middleburg
- Williamsport
- Elysburg
- Lewisburg (the Miller Center)
Selinsgrove Imaging Center will resume limited operations on Monday, May 4, 2020, to support Family Practice Center and area residents needing imaging services.
Appointments in the clinics will be scheduled in a way that allows for safe social distancing.
Surgeries and procedures at the ambulatory surgical center will begin on Monday, May 11, 2020.
Two additional operating rooms at the Hospital will open on Monday, May 11, 2020, to accommodate some elective cases, but will be done in a balanced approach that allows the Hospital to manage COVID-19 volumes.
“Approximately 60% of our workforce was impacted by temporary furloughs or a reduction in hours,” said Aucker.
“We are evaluating appropriate staffing levels to support the increase in clinic visits, surgeries, and other procedures that Governor Wolf is allowing. We also have to evaluate what our ‘new normal’ looks like.”
