Governor Ducey Announces New Guidance on "Elective Surgeries"

COVID
April 15, 2022
COVID-19

Governor Ducey announces and issues a new Executive Order to allow for elective surgeries. Under the new order, hospitals, dental offices and other health facilities can resume conducting elective surgeries on May 1 if they can show they have implemented measures intended to keep health care workers and patients safe. These include:

  • Demonstrating greater than a 14 day supply of PPE; 

  • Ensuring adequate staffing and beds;

  • Testing patients prior to surgery and all at-risk health care workers;

  • Ensuring appropriate discharge plans for patients being transferred to nursing care facilities, including diagnostic testing for COVID-19;

  • Implementing a universal symptom screening process for staff, patients, and visitors; 

  • Establishing an enhanced cleaning process for waiting areas; 

  • And prioritizing the restart of elective surgeries based on urgency.

Facilities that meet the specified standards will need to complete and exemption request and receive approval from the Arizona Department of Health Services before resuming elective surgeries. The order shall be considered for repeal or revision every two weeks.

- updated April 22, 2020