Bassett Healthcare Network Postpones Some Elective Procedures at A.O. Fox Hospital & Little Falls Hospital

Bassett Healthcare Network announced today that in accordance with an executive order enacted by the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) on December 3, two of its hospitals — A.O. Fox Hospital in Oneonta and Little Falls Hospital — have been placed on a state-wide list of facilities that currently have occupancies of 90 percent or more. Impacted facilities across the state, including A.O. Fox Hospital and Little Falls Hospital, will limit non-essential elective procedures for the next two weeks. 

At this time, no other hospitals within Bassett Healthcare Network are restricted by the executive order. However, the Department of Health will continue to monitor hospital occupancies and may add additional facilities to the list if occupancies reach critical levels. 

Patients who may be affected by these changes will be notified directly by their practitioner’s office. Urgent and emergency procedures, like trauma, cancer diagnostic, brain and heart surgeries, and other critical procedures will continue to be performed. 

“The New York State Department of Health is working with facilities across the state to coordinate our hospital capacities to ensure we are able to continue to meet the needs of our communities,” says Dr. William LeCates, northern region executive for Bassett Healthcare Network. “By delaying some elective procedures at our hospitals with higher occupancies, we can redistribute resources to areas of critical need.”

Following the two-week period, capacities at affected hospitals will be reassessed.

“It is very important to stress to our patients and community members that it is absolutely safe to come to Bassett Healthcare Network for care,” says Eric Stein, southern region executive for Bassett Healthcare Network. “Highly skilled teams of clinicians and other staff are working together every day to ensure Bassett Healthcare Network’s facilities are able to continue to meet the needs of our communities with excellence and safety.”