Starting May 26, Inspira Health resumed elective surgeries and elective procedures inside our hospitals in Elmer, Mullica Hill and Vineland.

Thanks to an experienced team of leaders and doctors here at Inspira, we had already built a plan which follows extraordinary precautions to ensure that we provide a safe environment. We were ready.

The Elective Procedure--Safety First—and Re-defined

Generally, this is the process for how your elective procedure will occur after you and your doctor have decided it is right for you. Your doctor will know all of the answers to your questions about your specific experience. 

1. Your pre-admission testing will include COVID-19 testing. If you have a negative result and your other tests go well, you will be scheduled for the procedure. In addition to our Pre-Admission Testing service at the hospitals, testing is also being offered at the East Vineland Urgent Care, the Williamstown Urgent Care or the new testing site on Oak Avenue in Woodbury, behind the Satellite Emergency Department. If you pass all of the tests that your doctor has ordered for you, you will be asked to self-quarantine inside your home for the three days before your procedure.
2. On the day of your procedure, you and your companion will be screened for temperature and a brief health status as you enter the building.
3. If you and your companion are not wearing a hospital grade procedure mask, one will be given to you.
4. At the registration area, you will be asked to stand six feet apart. We have decals on the floor as a reminder to keep a safe distance. There will be a plexiglass screen between you and our registrar.
5. If you are asked to wait, the waiting room furniture has been re-arranged to allow for social distancing.
6. Once you are called back into the procedure area, which may be the OR, the cardiac catheterization suite or the GI area, you and your companion will be escorted to the pre-procedure area. All of our patient areas are deep-cleaned multiple times a day.
7. All of the staff will be wearing appropriate Personal Protection Equipment (PPE). All contacts with our staff will be kept to a minimum to reduce the risk of infection.
8. Your procedure will be performed in sterile areas.
9. After your procedure is over, your doctor will talk to you and your companion. You will then either be discharged or to admitted to the hospital.
10. If you need to stay overnight, your companion will need to go home. All New Jersey hospitals are still restricting visitors at this time.
11. You will be transported in elevators that are regularly sanitized with virucide disinfectant by our Environmental Services team.
12. You will be transported to a room that is not near the areas where COVID-19 patients are being cared for. You will be cared for by a distinct team who specializes in the recovery process of your procedure.

Yes, this is different process than what you may be used to, but it has been redesigned to maximize the safe delivery of care during these unprecedented times. You can feel safe to come into our hospitals to receive the care you need. Please talk to your doctor if you have any concerns. You can also reach out to our COVID-19 community hotline, 1-800-772-2848, weekdays, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. You can also email us at COVID19@ihn.org