The phones are ringing again in surgery units with calls from patients ready to schedule non-emergency procedures.
"Like everybody who's ready to get their business open, people are ready to get back to meaningful work," said Cone Health Chief Operating Officer Dr. Mary Jo Cagle.
Cone Health will start some non-emergency surgeries Monday. Cagle said since March, those surgeries, plus everything from mammograms to CT scans have been on hold.
The hospital canceled more than 70 percent of their procedures and that meant many medical staff saw their hours cut.
"It's been a financial drain," said UNC Rockingham Health Care's Director of Surgery Dr. William Mcleod.
It's affected hospitals big and small. Mcleod said many of their surgical nurses and staff moved to work in the hospital's coronavirus unit.
"Most small hospitals, they rely on outpatient services and surgeries to maintain viability," said Mcleod.
Now, those workers will head back to the closed units. Cone and UNC Rockingham said coronavirus case numbers are down and holding steady.
"Its been really hard on our whole team to not be doing the things that they normally do," Cagle said.
Resuming procedures will come with coronavirus testing at preop appointments, plus heightened cleaning, visitor restrictions and other protocols.
Both hospitals said they are starting with less serious operations next week. Cone Health said its plan will be phased, similar to the state's reopening plan.
Novant Health and Wake Forest Baptist Health have already started some non-emergency procedures.