Non-essential surgeries halted at area Cleveland Clinic hospitals

As coronavirus cases fill area hospital beds, Cleveland Clinic said it would stop scheduling non-urgent inpatient surgeries.

The moratorium, set to last through Dec. 17, excludes Euclid and Lutheran hospitals, but includes Akron-area Akron General, Medina Hospital and Mercy Hospital in Canton.

Essential and urgent surgeries, including heart, cancer, pediatric and transplant, as well as outpatient surgeries not requiring a hospital bed, will continue to be scheduled.

The hospital chain said COVID-19 cases continue to increase, with inpatient hospitalizations taking up more hospital beds.

On Tuesday, the number of hospitalized COVID patients at Akron’s four regional hospital systems continued to rise, matching records not seen since last December. There were 294 patients hospitalized, up from 281 on Monday and not far from the all-time record of 318 on Dec. 15, 2020. On Tuesday, there were 144 hospitalized at Summa for COVID, 106 at Cleveland Clinic Akron General, 33 at Western Reserve Hospital and 11 at Aron Children's Hospital.

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Cleveland Clinic said it would continue to evaluate its surgical schedule as the pandemic continues to impact its capacity to treat patients.