OrthoArizona, based in Phoenix, is halting elective surgeries amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Four things to know:
1. The practice has 65 physicians and 20 locations in the Phoenix area. All locations will now serve as just urgent orthopedic care or essential care, on a case-by-case basis.
2. OrthoArizona's physicians will provide routine appointments through telemedicine to minimize exposure to COVID-19. This will also help save supplies and divert them to hospitals treating patients with the coronavirus.
3. For urgent visits, the practice and its staff will take necessary precautions and will practice rigorous cleaning and screening of patients who arrive for appointments.
4. Several other orthopedic practices have made similar moves to telemedicine, with different timelines based on location.