News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
As of Wednesday, elective procedures and surgeries will end at Cookeville Regional Medical Center for the next eight weeks.
CRMC CEO Paul Korth said his administration looked carefully at CDC guidance before making the decision. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute on Allergy and Infectious Disease, said Saturday elective procedures can affect the supply of protective devices including masks and ventilators.
“Before we made this decision, we assessed community transmission occurring in our region,” Korth said. “We feel like this is the right thing to do at this time.”
Emergency surgeries will continue. Elective surgeries are defined as scheduled. Korth said doctors will determine if the act can wait eight weeks.
Elective surgery means “scheduled”, as opposed to an emergency surgery.
“Much of our elective care cannot be delayed and needs to be done,” Korth said. “Those cases will proceed as normal.”
