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Owensboro Health Opens Up to Outpatient Surgeries, as COVID 'Recovery Plan' Continues

Owensboro Health

Owensboro Health reopened outpatient surgery programs Monday at its hospitals in Daviess and Muhlenberg counties. The procedures had been unavailable due to policies put in place after the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Owensboro Health President Greg Strahan said anybody scheduled to undergo a procedure at Owensboro Health Regional Hospital or Owensboro Health Muhlenberg Community Hospital has to be tested for COVID-19 in advance.

“We’ve already begun calling patients, having them come in and have a test done. It’s a 72-hour test that we have to wait for,” he said.

Strahan added that those who test negative for coronavirus will then be allowed to come to the hospital for their scheduled procedure. They’ll wait outside in their vehicle, and won’t come into the facility until an employee escorts them inside.

Some of the newly reopened procedures include endoscopies and catheterizations.

Strahan said his organization believes it has a handle on the current number of COVID-19 cases in the region, and decided it could move forward with a gradual reopening of facilities.

According to Strahan, Owensboro Health created a plan months ago to handle a potential crush of coronavirus patients. But thankfully, that hasn’t happened, at least yet.

“We have a plan in place, our COVID-19 surge plan, and it’s one that sits on a shelf today and will be always be used in the event that we have any kind of pandemic, or any kind of natural disaster,” Strahan said.

The resumption of in-patient surgeries at Owensboro Health is scheduled for May 25.

Kevin is the News Director at WKU Public Radio. He has been with the station since 1999, and was previously the Assistant News Director, and also served as local host of Morning Edition.
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