Dear Patients,

At Illinois Sports Medicine & Orthopedic Surgery Center, we continue to closely monitor the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and have been adapting our COVID-related clinical protocols on an ongoing basis.

As of Monday, March 14, 2022, all patients having elective or urgent surgery under any Anesthesia type other than with a local anesthetic, must have a COVID test of any kind within three days of their date of service regardless of their vaccination status. The test must be administered by a COVID testing facility that produces a printed test report. Home testing with self-reporting will not be accepted. Under these guidelines, it is each patient’s responsibility to provide a printed COVID test result and to assume any cost associated with the testing they have chosen. Those patients having a procedure under local Anesthesia who are fully vaccinated are not required to have pre-op COVID testing, but must provide the surgery center with a copy of their COVID vaccination card no later than the time of admission.

Visitors are once again allowed to enter the surgery center. However, only one family member or friend will be allowed to enter the facility with each patient. Since CDC and IDPH guidelines still mandate mask wearing in all healthcare facilities, authorized visitors are required to wear a facemask at all times. Your mouth and nose must be fully covered. Authorized visitors will only be allowed in Pre-Op.

We ask patients who are sick and/or have a fever, cough, and shortness of breath contact their primary care provider immediately. If you have any of these symptoms, please contact our staff at the surgery center immediately. There is a possibility that your surgery may need to be rescheduled.
At Illinois Sports Medicine & Orthopedic Surgery Center, patient safety and patient care is our central focus. We appreciate your patience and understanding.