Kaweah Delta pitches second ER overflow tent: 6 things to know

Visalia, Calif.-based Kaweah Delta Medical Center temporarily expanded its emergency department by adding a second medical tent to treat a high volume of flu patients, according to a Visalia Times-Delta report.

Here are six things to know from the report.

1. The 581-bed hospital set up a tent for emergency room overflow in November after seeing a surge in patients from an early flu season and the closure of a nearby hospital's ED and health clinics in Tulare, Calif.

2. Kaweah Delta's emergency department is treating an average of 500 confirmed flu patients each week. 

3. The second tent, located under the ambulance bay, will serve as a staging area for patients transported by ambulance. The additional tent will ensure patients are kept out of the hallways and treated sooner by hospital staff.

4. The California Department of Public Health recently approved two requests for temporary flu tents, but Kaweah Delta is currently the only state hospital using one. 

5. Eleven other California hospitals are operating using alternate existing space or are over bed capacity, according to CDPH.

6. The hospital has not yet determined a date to pitch the second tent.

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.

 

Featured Whitepapers

Featured Webinars