Ocean Medical Center Delays Some Procedures In COVID Surge

BRICK, NJ — The increase in coronavirus cases in the last month is being felt by hospitals across the country, including Ocean University Medical Center, where the hospital has had to postpone some elective procedures for the next two weeks.

"With guidance from the state, all New Jersey hospitals have been advised to reschedule some elective procedures that are not critical, for two to three weeks," said Eric Muench, a regional spokesman for the Hackensack Meridian Health Network. "Hackensack Meridian medical centers are complying and relocating some of this staff to the frontline."

"At this point, very few cases have been impacted," Muench said.

Also, they may or may not be surgeries so it is more accurate to call them procedures. I don't want to cause unnecessary concern for Ocean's patients with appointments.

Ocean University Medical Center has seen a sharp increase in adult hospitalizations in the last two weeks. Through Jan. 6, 79 percent of the hospital's adult beds were occupied; 32 percent of the adult beds were occupied by COVID-19 patients, according to federal data reported by NPR. Those numbers are up from 74 percent and 20 percent for the last week of December. The average daily number of adult patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 rose from 72 as of Dec. 30 to 111 as of Jan. 6.

In addition to delaying elective surgeries, the hospital also has reinstated a no-visitors policy for most patients. The hospital is trying to ease the stress of that with its "Keeping Families Connected Program."

"Staff at the hospital’s Office of Patient Experience can help you receive updates and arrange phone and video calls. While your loved one is with us, we will ensure you connect with them safely. We are sensitive to the separation this restriction causes our patients and their loved ones, but we believe this measure of protection is essential to keep people safe," the visitation guidelines say.

The Ocean County Health Department has announced rapidly rising case counts since Dec. 23, averaging more than 1,000 new cases of the virus per day, driven by the omicron variant.

In addition to hospitalizations, there has been an increase in the number of deaths; 74 Ocean County residents have died of complications from COVID-19 since Dec. 23.

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