Elective Surgery Cases, Procedures Resume at Rush University Medical Center, Rush Oak Park Hospital

Elective surgery cases have resumed across the Rush System, with new protocols to ensure the safety of our patients, providers and employees.

These measures include:

• Patients coming for surgery or other procedures at Rush will be tested for COVID-19. Please see the protocol for ordering COVID tests for pre-procedure, pre-surgical patients. This protocol outlines our guiding principles, workflow for both Epic and non-Epic providers, and testing locations. You also may view this Epic newsflash, which details the procedure for ordering drive through testing.
• We continue to keep enhanced safety measures in place in our operating rooms and interventional areas, including around personal protective equipment and patient testing, to ensure that both patients and providers are protected.
• All employees are screened for temperature before entering any of our facilities.
• We continue to follow universal masking and social distancing policies, and our visitor restrictions remain in place.

As much as possible, we have converted our new patient and follow up visits from in-person to either telephone or video visits. Virtual visits are available for both new and returning surgical patients for consultation or follow up appointments when appropriate. Please see the table below for the surgical departments and divisions offering virtual visits, along with a contact phone number for referring physicians to call with questions.