Your Gastroenterology
COVID-19 Update

Ohio Takes Step Toward Re-Allowing
Elective Surgeries/Procedures

On Wednesday afternoon, Ohio Department of Health director Dr. Amy Acton provided clarifying guidance directing healthcare professionals to meet with patients and review any surgeries that were postponed last month after the state banned all non-urgent elective procedures due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The guidance is a first step by the state towards fully re-opening Ohio’s healthcare system, which saw a significant drop in activity after a March 17 order that banned elective procedures which required personal protective equipment (PPE). That original order was intended to conserve PPE and allow hospitals time to prepare for an anticipated coronavirus outbreak in Ohio.

The new guidance still does not allow for a full return to elective procedures but does allow physicians to do diagnostic evaluations and make preparations with patients towards surgical procedures. Doctors and patients should consider the current health situations and make a joint decision about whether or not to proceed, Acton said. New or other chronic conditions that may have a significant impact on a patient’s quality of life should also be evaluated. And her guidance requires patients to be informed of the risk of contracting COVID-19 and the impact during the post-operative recovery process.

Private Labs to Again
Handle COVID-19 Testing

The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) has rescinded an order that had required all COVID-19 testing to be done at hospital facilities in an effort to get results more quickly. The governor’s administration announced this week that private labs currently have no backlog of samples and have added more testing capacity. That prompted ODH Director Dr. Amy Acton on Monday to rescind her April 1 order and will again allow hospitals to utilize commercial laboratories in addition to hospital laboratories to perform COVID-19 testing.

To share your COVID-19 experience or ask a question, 
email OGS Director Reginald Fields. 
And continue to check for updates at the OGS website.

Stay Current on the Latest:

Coronavirus.ohio.gov   OSMA.org/coronavirus