Following a spike in COVID-19 cases in Florida reaching 100,217 cases reported as of June 21 and then doubling in two weeks to 203,376, local hospitals are adapting
Since the beginning of July, Bethesda Hospital-East, Bethesda Hospital-West and Boca Raton Regional Hospital are temporarily rescheduling elective procedures that require an overnight stay to ensure they have sufficient capacity to handle coronavirus patients. Hospital staff will communicate directly with affected patients. At this point, outpatient procedures remain as scheduled.
Delray Medical Center is still offering elective surgeries, and allows one support person for each elective surgery, maternity or pediatric patient.
In Boynton Beach, JFK Medical Center suspended services at its Freestanding Emergency Room on July 7. Temporarily closing the facility at 10921 S. Jog Road will allow JFK Medical Center to move key clinical staff and physicians to its other facilities across Palm Beach County that are experiencing a greater volume of COVID-19 and suspected COVID-19 patients.
“As a leading health care provider in the community, it is our responsibility to do whatever we can to provide care during this unprecedented challenge,” said Gina Melby, CEO. “Thank you to all of our staff and caregivers – and those throughout our community – for their continued selfless work caring for those in need throughout this crisis.”
JFK Medical Center’s main facility in Atlantis and its North Campus in West Palm Beach will remain open and will continue to treat COVID-19 patients in addition to offering inpatient services.
To see how many hospital beds are available in Palm Beach County, go to this website offered by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration:
– Christine Davis
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