MetroHealth, Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals Postponing Some Elective Surgeries Due to COVID Surge

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to challenge healthcare providers globally and nationally, including The MetroHealth System, Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals, resulting in yet another surge in the number of COVID-19 patients. 

As we continue to navigate the pandemic and adjust to the changing healthcare needs of our patients, our health systems are seeing unprecedented demand for inpatient care across our facilities. This has led to our hospitals reaching nearly full capacity at many locations. Our organizations are experiencing a significant increase in unvaccinated patients being hospitalized because of COVID-19.

• More than 90% of patients with COVID-19 in the ICU are non-vaccinated. This means that vaccination is protecting people from severe illness. Most vaccinated patients who are hospitalized have underlying health conditions.
• The MetroHealth System is experiencing an increase in patients hospitalized due to COVID-19.
• University Hospitals is experiencing a record high census of hospitalized COVID-19 positive patients.
• Cleveland Clinic hospitals are experiencing a significant increase in patients hospitalized due to COVID-19.
• We are urging everyone eligible to please get vaccinated.

We are committed to serving the urgent needs of our patients and community. Therefore, in the interest of maintaining high levels of quality and safety, The MetroHealth System, Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals are voluntarily making adjustments to the scheduling of non-urgent surgeries at certain locations. Patient and caregiver safety remains our highest priority. This action frees resources for patients with immediate and life-threatening needs and manages the demands on frontline caregivers, who have served with distinction throughout the pandemic.

We remain available to provide care to patients experiencing an emergency, life-threatening illness or prescribed screening or testing as well as providing outpatient surgeries that do not require a hospital bed.

The MetroHealth System

In response to the high demand for inpatient care – involving both COVID and non-COVID cases – we have begun postponing some elective surgeries to free up space in our hospitals. We are also exercising other options, such as encouraging more use of our Hospital in the Home program, to meet the latest patient surge.

Cleveland Clinic 

Cleveland Clinic will temporarily halt the scheduling of additional non-urgent inpatient surgeries requiring a hospital bed in our Ohio locations, with the exception of Euclid and Lutheran Hospitals, beginning Monday, Dec. 6, 2021 through Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. Essential and urgent surgeries, as well as heart, cancer, pediatric and transplantation surgeries, and outpatient surgeries not requiring a hospital bed will continue to be scheduled during this time period. We will continue to evaluate our scheduled surgical patients as the pandemic continues. 

University Hospitals

University Hospitals is currently rescheduling certain non-urgent surgeries at UH Cleveland Medical Center that require an inpatient stay for a short duration of time. At this time, UH Cleveland Medical Center continues to perform urgent surgeries and outpatient surgeries and procedures that do not involve an overnight stay. University Hospitals continues to perform all types of surgeries and procedures at its community hospitals, although the situation is fluid and subject to change. University Hospitals’ physicians are seeing patients as they always have, and UH labs and testing centers are open.