Joint statement from our CEOs – Mayor Lenny Curry, local health system CEOs to resume elective surgeries on May 4

Jacksonville, FL, April 30, 2020 – Mayor Lenny Curry and the CEOs of local health systems and healthcare providers announced today that elective surgeries will resume starting Monday. The decision comes after Gov. DeSantis announced Wednesday his Safe. Smart. Step-by-Step plan to begin re-opening the state. Resuming elective surgeries is part of Phase 1 of the plan.

“As the number of COVID-19 patients in our area appears to be flattening and fewer people are requiring hospitalization, our community is taking gradual and cautious steps to reopen our city,” said Mayor Curry. “As treatment options evolve, enhanced testing becomes more available, and our social distancing efforts continue, we are hopeful that we can move forward safely and collaboratively in the days and weeks ahead.”

Measures local hospitals are taking to keep patients safe

Many of the precautions local healthcare providers put into place for the COVID-19 pandemic will remain for the time being.

“While we are heartened that the surge we anticipated may not come to pass, now is not the time to let down our guard,” said Mayor Curry.

A few of the protective measures include:

• Limited visitation.
• Expanded testing with faster results.
• Prescreening by phone and telehealth.
• Screening at ER and hospital entrances.
• Masking of team members, patients and allowed visitors.
• Isolation of patients with respiratory illness symptoms, separate from other patients.
• Escalated infection control practices, including appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE), surface hygiene and decontamination processes.
• Expanded virtual care options by primary care, urgent care and specialty physicians.

“We want to make sure people aren’t delaying necessary care for serious health conditions such as heart disease, stroke and other emergencies due to COVID-19 or because they believe our healthcare facilities are overwhelmed, which simply isn’t true,” said Mayor Curry. “Our local hospitals and ERs are safe, prepared and ready to care for them.”

Ascension St. Vincent’s
Kyle Sieg, Senior Public Relations Specialist, Ascension Florida
Marketing & Communications
904.308.7992
[email protected]

Baptist Health
Cindy Hamilton, Executive Director, Corporate Communications
904.202.4907
[email protected]

Brooks Rehabilitation
Kathy Barbour, VP, Marketing and Communication
904.612.6511
[email protected]

Mayo Clinic
Tia R. Ford, Senior Communications Specialist
904.953.1419
[email protected]

Memorial Hospital
Odette Struys, AVP, Public Relations
904.707.9301
[email protected]

Orange Park Medical Center
Carrie Turansky, Director, Public Relations & Communications
904.639.2697
[email protected]

UF Health Jacksonville
Daniel Leveton, Media Relations Manager
904.244.3268
[email protected]

Wolfson Children’s Hospital
Vikki Mioduszewski, APR, Manager, Marketing & Communications
904.304.0041
[email protected]