Triadvocates Navigator Special Edition: April 22, 2020

Best-laid plans of mice and men…or something like that

One thing we know for certain about the Legislature: a lot can change in 24 hours. Rank-and-file Republicans have scrapped plans to pull the plug on the current legislative session with a one-day adjournment on May 1. Following yesterday’s announcement from House and Senate leadership, a number of lawmakers pushed back, voicing a desire to see respective priority issues through to the finish line. Both chambers changed rules before recessing in March to allow for remote voting, which opens the door for some possible “socially distanced” legislative activity, but details of what that would look like, including a date for when they would resume work, remain fluid.

More to come.

Elective surgeries to resume May 1 

During a press conference this afternoon, Gov. Doug Ducey announced that hospitals and outpatient surgical centers can resume elective surgery procedures beginning next Friday. The governor issued an executive order last month halting elective surgeries in an effort to conserve personal protective equipment (PPE), but with hospitals reporting increased availability of PPE and bed capacity, he is removing those restrictions if certain preparedness criteria are met.

Under the new order, hospitals, dental offices and other health facilities can resume conducting elective surgeries on May 1 if they can show they have implemented measures intended to keep health care workers and patients safe. These include:

• Demonstrating greater than a 14-day supply of PPE;
• Ensuring adequate staffing and beds;
• Testing patients prior to surgery and all at-risk health care workers;
• Ensuring appropriate discharge plans for patients being transferred to nursing care facilities, including diagnostic testing for COVID-19;
• Implementing a universal symptom screening process for staff, patients and visitors;
• Establishing an enhanced cleaning process for waiting areas;
• And prioritizing the restart of elective surgeries based on urgency.

Facilities that meet the specified standards will need to receive approval from the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) before resuming elective surgeries. The order shall be considered for repeal or revision every two weeks.

You can view the executive order here.