Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered the suspension of all elective surgeries in Travis, Bexar, Harris and Dallas counties to offset the rapid increase in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Additionally, he ordered hospitals in the state’s 250 other counties to “postpone all surgeries and procedures that are not immediately, medically necessary to correct a serious medical condition or to preserve the life of a patient” who would be at risk of death without it.
A joint statement on hospital capacity at Ascension Seton, Baylor Scott & White and St. David’s Health was released to area media Wednesday. The hospitals said that they “currently have the capacity to treat all patients,” including those with the coronavirus.
The combined capacity of the three hospital systems is 3,250 licensed beds but only 2,470 staffed beds. Licensed beds represent the number of beds the facility is licensed to operate, while the staffed beds are those “that are set up and ready for use, with the necessary staff in place to care for those patients”
