WHMS Resumes Elective Surgeries

ATKINSON — West Holt Medical Services (WHMS) has resumed elective surgeries and procedures in accordance with Directed Health Measures (DHMs) issued by Nebraska’s Governor Pete Ricketts.

The hospital’s commitment to safety protocols include remaining vigilant when it comes to sanitation, screening, visitor restrictions, masking and further guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, and local health officials.

WHMS has been preparing to safely resume elective surgeries and other services by putting the following safety measures in place:

• Patients will be screened for COVID-19, either by phone, upon entering the facility or through testing.
• Stringent cleaning, sterilization, and isolation precautions and proper use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) continue to be practiced.
• Social distancing is maintained in common areas and all patients, approved visitors and staff must wear masks if within 6 feet.
• Any potential COVID-19 patient will be treated in a separate area of the facility.
• Visitors continue to be limited to one adult (18 years of age or older) per patient. This includes visitors accompanying patients to the emergency room, clinics and hospital inpatient areas.

“It will be great to return to a sense of normalcy. We look forward to reopening our surgery services which have been on hold due to a potential COVID-19 surge,” shared Jeremy Bauer, Chief Financial Officer and Interim CEO at WHMS.

“Thankfully, our facility has not received an influx of positive COVID-19 cases. However, we remain vigilant in practicing protective safety measures as COVID-19 still poses a real threat to our service area,” added Bauer.

Patients whose care was postponed are being contacted to schedule appointments. For more information or to schedule a needed procedure, call (402) 925-2811.