Several hospitals and health systems in Illinois are beginning to delay elective surgeries amid a spike in coronavirus cases in the state.
Sarah Bush Lincoln, a 145-bed hospital in Mattoon, Ill., is postponing most inpatient elective surgeries due to bed capacity constraints, according to local news station WCIA.
The hospital said it will make the decision on whether to postpone a surgery on a case-by-case basis.
"It’s really about bed space and not about safety," Patty Peterson, a spokesperson for Sarah Bush Lincoln, told WCIA. "We have to make sure that if somebody is having inpatient surgery, that they have a bed to go to when they're out of surgery."
The hospital reported it is treating 43 patients with COVID-19, the most it has seen throughout the pandemic.
In addition, several other Illinois health systems are beginning to delay elective procedures.
Memorial Health System in Springfield, Ill., will begin delaying some nonurgent surgeries Nov. 16, according to the Chicago Tribune.
In addition, Evanston, Ill.-based NorthShore University HealthSystem, has started evaluating elective surgeries on a case-by-case basis and delaying those that can be postponed safely, according to the Tribune.