Maintaining Safety Standards While Building an Urban Alternate Care Facility in a Global Pandemic.
Popul Health Manag
; 24(2): 166-173, 2021 04.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-33264055
ABSTRACT
The Philadelphia region responded to the shortage of health care resources imposed by the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic through the creation of the COVID-19 Surge Facility at Temple University's basketball arena. The facility was designed as an acute care medical unit capable of supporting COVID-19 patients who were stable enough to be released from the intensive care unit but not ready for discharge home. Safety was optimized through the application of recommendations from the Joint Commission and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The safety goals include those established by the Joint Commission with regard to patient identification, security, identification of patient safety threats, communication, fire safety, laboratory services, and pharmacologic services. COVID-19-specific goals outlined by the CDC also are addressed and include recommendations for facility layout, managing staff respite and personal protective equipment, patient care areas, supply storage, airflow, and patient hygiene. Although the goal was to meet all of these recommendations, some were not possible due to the austere environment of the arena. However, these shortcomings were met with innovative solutions that provided the next best options. By sharing these experiences, the authors hope to guide future alternate care facilities in their efforts to optimize safety.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Urban Health Services
/
Facility Regulation and Control
/
Patient Safety
/
COVID-19
/
Intensive Care Units
Type of study:
Prognostic_studies
Limits:
Humans
Country/Region as subject:
America do norte
Language:
En
Journal:
Popul Health Manag
Journal subject:
SAUDE PUBLICA
/
SERVICOS DE SAUDE
Year:
2021
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Estados Unidos