COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center is postponing all elective surgeries that require an overnight stay in response to an increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations across the state.
The pause will officially begin on Jan. 3 and no new surgeries will be scheduled prior to that date, the hospital announced Friday.
Pausing elective surgeries will help free the resources for patients in need of immediate and life-saving care, according to the hospital. That includes care for COVID-19 or other serious illnesses. Surgical procedures deemed urgent or necessary will still occur.
As of Friday, 4,723 Ohioans were hospitalized with the coronavirus, a figure last seen almost a year ago, Governor Mike DeWine said in a press briefing.
The state is facing a threefold challenge in still-surging cases attributed to the delta variant, the arrival of the faster-spreading omicron variant, and what's predicted to be a normal flu season, DeWine said.
“Twenty-two months of this pandemic has taken its toll on our health care workers,” Governor DeWine said Friday, recounting stories of short-staffed hospitals needing workers to return for second shifts after only short breaks.
DeWine announced more than 1,000 members of the Ohio National Guard have been ordered into hospitals overwhelmed by patients being treated for COVID-19.
The state is also hiring a staffing agency to help recruit nurses from out of state to assist with patient care.