STATEWIDE — First, HCA made the announcement in West Florida.

Its hospitals in the Tampa Bay area stopped performing elective surgeries on July 11.

What You Need To Know

  • HCA Hospitals in West and Central Florida have stopped performing elective surgeries

  • The hospital chain said the move is designed to ensure adequate capacity for COVID-19 cases

  • HCA says its emergency rooms are safe

On Thursday, the major hospital chain said its facilities in Central Florida would follow suit.

“As positive COVID-19 cases continue to rise across Florida and here in our area, HCA Healthcare North Florida Division Orlando Market hospitals are taking proactive action in order to position our hospitals to better serve the immediate health care needs of our community,” HCA said in a statement.

“Beginning Thursday, July 16, the hospitals will temporarily defer the scheduling of elective surgeries as a measure to increase hospital bed capacity.”

HCA said the decision was made “to ensure our readiness as we monitor hospital capacity, which fluctuates daily, and the reported COVID-19 positive cases around the state.”

HCA stressed that its emergency rooms are safe and urged anyone experiencing a medical emergency to seek treatment.

It released a statement to Spectrum News which reads:

Hospitals have established guidelines that provide a tiered approach, which helps determine if a surgery should proceed or if it can be safely postponed at the surgeon’s discretion, within hospital policy and in consultation with the patient. The temporary suspension of scheduled surgeries does not currently apply to cardiac and gastrointestinal procedures, and other surgeries or procedures that cannot be safely delayed. Other options may be available to patients to continue with their surgery at our HCA Ambulatory Surgery Centers

HCA West Florida includes:

  • Blake Medical Center
  • Brandon Regional Hospital
  • Citrus Memorial
  • Doctors Hospital of Sarasota
  • Englewood Community Hospital
  • Fawcett Memorial
  • Largo Medical Center
  • Medical Center of Trinity
  • Memorial Hospital of Tampa
  • Northside Hospital
  • Oak Hill Hospital
  • Palms of Pasadena
  • RMC Bayonet Point
  • South Bay Hospital
  • St. Petersburg General

HCA hospitals in Central Florida include:

  • Central Florida Regional Hospital
  • Osceola Regional Medical Center
  • Oviedo Medical Center
  • Poinciana Medical Center