Saint Alphonsus and St. Luke's health systems, both based in Boise, Idaho, will pause some nonemergency surgeries and procedures amid a COVID-19 surge.
Saint Alphonsus will halt nonemergent surgeries and procedures requiring overnight hospital stays at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise and Saint Alphonsus Medical Center in Nampa, Idaho, through Sept. 18, according to an Aug. 31 news release from the health system.
The health system said these surgeries and procedures will be evaluated daily. Urgent, emergent and medically necessary, time-sensitive procedures and medical care will continue at both Saint Alphonsus hospitals, and outpatient surgical procedures will continue but are subject to capacity constraints, said Saint Alphonsus. Scheduled surgeries and procedures at Saint Alphonsus Medical Centers in Ontario and Baker City, Ore., will continue as long as capacity is available.
"The growing number of COVID-19 hospitalizations added to a record summer volume of trauma and medical emergencies, like heart attack, strokes, and cancer are creating stress on our health system capacity. In order to safely provide the best care possible, we are reallocating resources to COVID-19 care," David McFadyen, president of Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center, said in the news release. "We anticipate this will be a temporary pause and we will continually monitor our capacity and staffing levels in order to restore full-service care as soon as possible."
St. Luke's also will temporarily pause certain elective surgeries and procedures, according to an online post Aug. 31.
At St. Luke's Boise, Elmore, Meridian and Nampa, certain elective inpatient and outpatient surgeries and procedures will be paused effective Sept. 1, the health system said.
At St. Luke's Magic Valley in Twin Falls, elective surgery, catheterization lab, interventional radiology and endoscopy procedures requiring hospitalization post-procedure will not take place through Sept. 12.
St. Luke's said certain elective outpatient surgeries and procedures will be reduced beginning Sept. 2 to help support inpatient care needs.
"St. Luke's will continue to monitor our capacity for care and make adjustments as appropriate," the health system said.
The announcements from Saint Alphonsus and St. Luke's come the same week Idaho Gov. Brad Little directed up to 370 new medical personnel to assist hospitals during the COVID-19 surge to avoid activating crisis standards of care.
New daily COVID-19 hospitalization rates in Idaho have increased 35 percent over the last two weeks, according to data tracked by The New York Times, which was last updated Sept. 1.