Tennessee hospital group to begin deferring elective procedures because of covid-19 patient spike

Ballad Health, which owns a host of rural hospitals, will begin deferring elective procedures at three of its Tennessee hospitals because of a spike in covid-19 hospitalizations, CEO Alan Levine announced in a series of tweets. They might have to reschedule more if cases continue to rise. 

Ballad Health, which operates 21 hospitals in four states, said Oct. 26 it is caring for 166 hospitalized COVID-19 patients, 28 of whom are in the intensive care unit," Alia Paavola reports for Becker's Hospital Review. "On Oct. 26, Ballad began rescheduling up to 25 percent of elective services at Holston Valley Medical Center in Kingsport, Tenn. In a few days, procedures will begin being deferred at Bristol Regional Medical Center and Johnson City Medical Center."

The rising caseload likely reflects rising caseloads in not just the metropolitan counties where the hospitals are located, but the rural counties surrounding them, since rural residents with serious covid-19 cases are usually taken to larger regional hospitals.