Orthopedic groups in Texas are monitoring rising COVID-19 infection rates as many hospitals begin to postpone elective surgeries to create more bed space.
Hospitals in the South are becoming increasingly strained with coronavirus-related hospitalizations, particularly in Texas and Florida, which have seen a surge in new cases and hospitalizations in August.
"I don't think we're going to get into as bad a situation as we did at the worst of times last year, but some of the hospitals where we perform inpatient procedures are now starting to restrict elective procedures," David Rothbart, MD, medical director of Spine Team Texas, told Becker's.
"But when you work predominantly in an outpatient and ambulatory space, we can flex pretty quickly on that," Dr. Rothbart said.
During the height of the pandemic in 2020, the Southlake-based practice made its ventilators and nursing staff available to the U.S. healthcare system. Dr. Rothbart doesn't foresee reaching that point during this surge, but said the practice will be ready "should that be necessary."
Spine Team Texas has also reinforced many of the COVID-19 protocols that it had recently relaxed at its facilities, Dr. Rothbart said.