Plans to send Canadian spine patients to Sanford Medical Center in Fargo, N.D., were finalized Feb. 24, the Winnipeg Sun reported.
Manitoba Health Minister Audrey Gordon shared the update at a news conference. On Feb. 25, Sanford Health Vice President of Operations Brittany Sachdeva said in an emailed statement to Becker's that the hospital is beginning a medical care pilot.
"We expect to care for approximately five patients over the next several weeks," Ms. Sachdeva said.
Plans to admit Canadian patients to Sanford were first announced in January. Spine patients who have been waiting a year or more for surgery are eligible. The spine surgery delays are part of a larger backlog of cases in the province amid COVID-19 surges.
Doctors Manitoba released statistics last week showing the backlog for diagnostic and surgical procedures has grown by 7,748 over the last month to a total of more than 161,000 cases.
Doctors Manitoba data shows there are 52,327 surgery cases in the backlog, which is an increase of 2,168 from January.