Beebe Healthcare pausing elective surgical procedures

Effective Sept. 14, Beebe Healthcare is pausing elective surgical procedures requiring an overnight stay in the hospital, out of an abundance of caution, due to an increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations.

Beebe leadership is making this decision to continue providing safe, high-quality care to the influx of patients requiring hospitalization due to COVID-19 and unrelated serious medical issues.

The number of community members hospitalized as a result of COVID-19 infection has continued to rise. More than 95 percent of hospitalized COVID-19 patients are either unvaccinated or partially vaccinated.

Beebe will continually monitor this fluid surge and will resume elective surgeries requiring a hospital stay as the situation requires. Beebe is working closely with surgeons to ensure that patient care is prioritized as best as possible. Patients whose elective surgeries are paused will be contacted by their surgeon’s office.

Beebe strongly urges everyone to get vaccinated. The COVID-19 vaccine is free and readily available throughout the state. The vaccines are effective in preventing serious illness and death, and getting vaccinated is the most important thing you can do to protect yourself and others. The Delta variant causes more infections and spreads faster than earlier forms of the virus that causes COVID-19. Some data suggests that the Delta variant may cause a more severe illness than previous strains in unvaccinated people, according to the CDC.

“At this time, as we build the level of vaccination nationwide, we must also use all the prevention strategies available, including masking indoors in public places, to stop transmission and stop the pandemic,” said Dr. David A. Tam, Beebe Healthcare president & CEO. “Everyone who is able, including fully vaccinated people, should wear masks in public indoor places.”

For more information about Beebe Healthcare, visit beebehealthcare.org.