WMCHealth to Resume Outpatient Ambulatory Surgeries at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, NY

VALHALLA, N.Y. (May 19, 2020) – Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth) announces that elective outpatient ambulatory surgeries and medical testing will resume tomorrow, May 20, at its flagship hospital Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, NY.

New York State approval allows for resumption of outpatient ambulatory surgical services -- those for which the patient enters and leaves a surgical facility on the same day, without an overnight stay – and is based upon the status of coronavirus impact, including a drop in COVID-19 cases in specific counties.  Emergency and urgent surgeries have continued without deferral throughout the pandemic, regardless of a patient's infection status.

Individuals who were able to defer an elective outpatient procedure or medical test during the early phase of the coronavirus pandemic will be contacted to reschedule pre-procedure testing as well as their surgery. Individuals can feel free to initiate re-scheduling by contacting their surgeon's office directly. Affiliated physicians are welcome to call WMCHealth's surgery practices to discuss a patient who will be rescheduled for a procedure, or to make a new referral.

As a mandatory safety protocol, the hospital will provide each patient with a COVID-19 test prior to a procedure. Each patient must then follow stringent safety precautions to avoid possible infection before the procedure date itself.  Any patient who tests positive for a COVID infection will be re-tested before elective surgery can be rescheduled. Emergency and urgent surgeries continue to take place, regardless of a patient's infection status.

Any individual with new or concerning symptoms or a change in health status should not wait for care and should call their primary physician's office or come to an emergency room.  The health and well-being of our community, our patients and our workforce is our number one priority.  We have taken extraordinary measures to protect our workforce, and to ensure that all our care environments are safe for our patients.

Read Our Patient Information for Outpatient Ambulatory Surgeries