The field hospital at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre in Owen Sound could be used to treat patients from outside the region, if the need should arise.
Grey Bruce Health Services president and CEO Gary Sims says the 75-bed facility is “ready to go”. It will only be activated for use to support the local healthcare system if acute and surge capacity at hospitals in Grey Bruce is exceeded.
Right now, Sims says capacity across all Grey Bruce Health Services’ hospitals sits around 60 per cent.
“We hope we never have to use it. The goal was to be ready for the absolute worst scenario. We think we are ready,” explains Sims. “Each site is sitting with empty beds and staff, ready to go, in case we get a surge. The staff have been planning, training and getting ready.”
“But, fingers crossed, the information we're starting to hear now is that social distancing is working and that the capacity within the hospitals seems to be holding,” continues Sims. “If we keep up this good work for another week or two, we might be looking at some more positive outcomes coming out the other side.”
The temporary hospital at the Bayshore was built from scratch in two weeks. Sims says it is fully mobile and can be taken down and built again at any arena in the province.
The field hospital can provide a level of care for medical patients up to, but not as high as intensive care.
The site is equipped with bedside oxygen and suction, automated medication dispensing, on-site x-ray and on-site lab testing, Sims explains.
If the field hospital were to get activated, it would be used to treat non-critical COVID-19 patients.
“If they were stable medical patients not in need of intensive care, or critical care support, but did still some convalescent support and medication, or monitoring,” explains Sims. “A higher level than what's needed at home, but not as high as in an intensive care unit.”
There is also the possibility the field hospital could be used to support patients from other regions.
Sims says there are local, regional and provincial COVID-19 planning groups. When it comes to the provincial level plan, he says everything from personal protective equipment, resources, beds and available staff are all identified.
If there should be a COVID-19 hotspot or an area that gets overloaded, Sims says patients could be move into areas like these to support them, or manpower could be moved to provide additional support in regions dealing with outbreaks.
In the southwest region, field hospitals were built in Owen Sound and London.
“London did enough for its area, but we are both here to support each other as needed,” Sims explains. “You can imagine too, that if Collingwood, which is not really in our region, or Barrie got overloaded, we could take people from there as well.”
Sims notes Grey Bruce Health Services has the ability to expand its ICU capacity to five times its original size, and the field hospital available to support anyone from any region should they need it.
“The reality is we've created a group mentality of working towards managing the system as a whole,” Sims explains. “Rather than just region by region, we're all prepared to help out in any way we can. No matter where they are.”
