ECMC Elective Surgeries Open, Emergency Services Enhanced with Opening of KeyBank Trauma and Emergency Department

Don’t hesitate to come to the ER if you have been injured or think you are experiencing a serious medical condition!

BUFFALO, NY – With the announcement earlier this week that all elective surgeries may resume in Western New York, ECMC has ramped up its surgical procedure protocols to accommodate the many elective surgeries that had been on hold since March 19th, when New York State suspended elective surgeries due to the pandemic. Previously, ECMC had been approved to resume outpatient elective surgeries on May 17.

In resuming these important elective surgery procedures, ECMC wants to remind patients that all COVID-19 pre-surgery procedures remain in place, and that each patient will be instructed regarding necessary steps to take, including being tested for COVID-19 before their elective surgery takes place.

With the opening of the new, state-of-the-art KeyBank Trauma and Emergency Department, ECMC encourages the public to come to the ER if they have been injured or think they’re having a serious medical condition. Any patient coming to the ER will receive a temperature screening before they enter the building. As with every area of ECMC’s health campus, continuous disinfectant cleaning occurs in every area of the facility, and all patients and staff are required to wear a surgical mask. These necessary precautions help maintain a clean environment and patients should not be uncomfortable coming to ECMC for any healthcare services they may require.

ECMC’s commitment to a safe environment of care is reinforced by its recent receipt of an overall patient safety score of ‘A’ as rated by the nation’s preeminent safety organization, The Leapfrog Group, an independent, national not-for-profit organization founded more than a decade ago by the nation’s leading employers and private health care experts. ECMC previously earned the organization’s highest patient safety score in April 2017. Leapfrog patient surveys assess medical errors, accidents, injuries, infections, and patient experiences, and is committed to driving quality, safety, and transparency in the U.S. health care system. ECMC was 1 of only 12 hospitals in New York State to receive the Leapfrog ‘A’ patient safety rating out of 2,600 hospitals that are rated across the United States. Nationally, ECMC joins the ranks of other national healthcare systems receiving a Leapfrog ‘A’, such as the Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic.