Tennova Healthcare – Cleveland and What you Need to Know About Orthopedic Surgery During the Pandemic

3/29/2021

Cleveland, TN, 3/29/2021 – Tennova Healthcare – Cleveland understands that the thought of having surgery for a nagging bone injury or lingering joint pain can make some patients feel uneasy. But, as many experts have said over the last few months, it is extremely important not to neglect medical needs during the pandemic.

Patients can feel confident seeking care the medical care they need at Tennova Healthcare - Cleveland. Numerous steps have been put in place to keep patients safe during their visits, including:

• Screening all visitors for COVID-19 exposure and symptoms before they are allowed to enter.
• Visitor restrictions reduce the number of people inside to enable social distancing and keep patients and employees safe.
• Facemasks are worn by everyone inside the hospital – patients, employees and physicians.
• Caregivers are using appropriate personal protective equipment and washing hands before and after caring for every patient.
• Cleaning protocols have been enhanced with extra measures and increased frequency, including disinfection of frequently touched surfaces and all patient care areas.
• Furniture in waiting areas arranged to support social distancing.
• For more information about the hospital’s safety plan, click here tennovacleveland.com/covid-19.

Pre-surgery COVID-19 testing is required for patients undergoing procedures involving general anesthesia or aerosolizing procedures. Patients are asked to self-quarantine after receiving the test and before arriving at the hospital. Care for surgery patients is delivered in a non-COVID care zone in which all patients have tested negative for COVID and provided by a dedicated group of staff who only work in this area. You will need to have a person to drive you and pick you up from surgery. That individual will need to go through the screening process at our main entrance and be asked to follow our guidelines of social distancing and wear a mask at all times while inside our facility. If your visitor chooses, they can leave a phone number and we can call them when you are out of surgery.

Tennova Healthcare – Cleveland celebrated over 300 cases in September 2020 since being the first hospital in the region to offer robotic joint replacement for total hip, total knee and partial knee. “Since the launch of our robotic joint replacement service line in 2018, we have seen continued growth as evidenced by this milestone, states JT Barnhart, CEO. It is exciting to know we were the first in the region to bring this high level of care to our community and to now see the great outcomes from these procedures through our quality measures and patient testimonials with our Joint Commissioned Accredited Joint Program is so rewarding.”

Fellowship trained orthopedic surgeon, Lee Radford, M.D., chief of orthopedic surgery at Tennova Healthcare – Cleveland, says, “With the increased knowledge about precautions surrounding COVID we are able to protect all patients from exposure in order to perform surgery. Even our at-risk patients who are worried about contracting coronavirus should be able to rest assured knowing that all the precautions noted above are being completed. Likewise, the CDC recommended precautions are followed in all Tennessee Valley Bone & Joint offices. It is equally important to understand that your regular problem as well as preventive visits are not missed due to COVID concerns. Delay in your essential health and wellness visits can allow bone and joint pathology to go undiagnosed resulting in decreased quality of life that could be avoided with a conservative approach. We listen to your needs and focus on your desired level of mobility, not only to meet your personal needs, but treatment that promotes a high-level quality of life.”

Radford added, “If your quality of life is suffering and this can be addressed from a surgical standpoint, then the entire team at Tennova has taken great strides to allow surgeries to be completed in a safe and efficient manner. As the regions only fellowship trained total joint surgeon; I have completed near 300 robotic cases. This allows me to send 50-60% of my robotic-assisted total hip and total knee patients home the same day, adding to their safety. Don’t delay treatment, you are worth it!”

For more information about our robotic surgical services or to find a physician go to TennovaCleveland.com or call (423) 559-6184.

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