With the governors in both Iowa and Illinois soon allowing the resumption of some outpatient elective surgeries, local hospitals are taking a cautious approach with integrating them back into their daily procedures.

Doug Cropper, President and CEO of Genesis Health System, released a statement saying that their hospitals “will not immediately ramp up to surgical levels before this pandemic began.” Instead they are going to proceed cautiously. He does say that some surgical procedures may begin as early as next week in Iowa.

“From the start, COVID-19 has been a complex process with a number of steps and hurdles,” Cropper adds. “Getting closer to returning to regular services will be the next very positive step.”

A statement from UnityPoint Health states that they have not yet established a timeline for the resumption of surgeries, “but have begun planning for resuming elective procedures that prioritize the health and safety of our team members, patients and communities.”