HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. (FOX Carolina) – AdventHealth Hendersonville is postponing elective surgeries and procedures beginning Monday, March 16 as part of precautions against the spread of the novel coronavirus.

“Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, we have been working very closely with our Medical Staff Leadership to track the impact on our region. We determined now is the time to take this action because of the increase in confirmed and presumed positive cases here in North Carolina,” said Jimm Bunch, AdventHealth Hendersonville president and CEO. “Let me be clear, AdventHealth Surgical Services will continue to provide emergency surgical care. And we are following the discretion of our surgeons to determine which surgeries are emergent.”

“This is an important decision and one that none of us take lightly,” he continued. “Because so little is known about COVID-19, we realize we can’t afford to wait to make this decision until after it is too late to have the desired impact, which is to keep our patients and care teams safe.”

AdventHealth says they’re following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention along with state and local health departments. Administrative leaders will be assessing the situation and make determinations on surgery schedules on a weekly basis.

“We recognize this decision will impact our patients, but we also believe this action is in their best interest at this time. We thank you for understanding and appreciate your support in this effort to protect you, your loved ones and our community,” said Bunch.

Any patient with questions about an upcoming surgery scheduled at AdventHealth should contact their physician.