ACS releases new guidance to help healthcare facilities prepare for resuming surgery

Editor' Note

The American College of Surgeons (ACS) on April 17 released a new document, “Local Resumption of Elective Surgery Guidance,” to help healthcare facilities prepare to resume elective surgery once COVID-19 has peaked in their area.

The document includes four categories:

• COVID Awareness—addresses the community’s COVID-19 numbers, including prevalence, incidence, and isolation mandates, as well as testing availability and policies for patients and healthcare workers.
• Preparedness—addresses personal protective equipment policies, facility capacity (beds, ICUs, ventilators) including expansion plans, adequate OR supply chain/support areas, workforce staffing issues, and the role of a governance committee.
• Patient Issues—addresses communication and prioritization of a protocol/plan.
• Delivery of Safe High-Quality Care—addresses safe, high quality, high value care of surgical patients across a continuum of Five Phases of Care.

ACS also has developed the ACS COVID-19 Registry, which is available to all hospitals willing to capture data about the COVID-19 patients they treat.