coronavirus new york

Coronavirus News: Westchester hospital building field hospital in parking lot to fight COVID-19

Thursday, April 9, 2020

MOUNT KISCO, New York (WABC) -- Northern Westchester Hospital announced the construction of a field hospital that will be ready for patients by Saturday to help in the fight against coronavirus.

The field hospital is designed as a unit within the hospital with the same staffing ratio, equipment and supplies.

The large tented structure will be housed in the hospitals north parking lot and will give NWH the ability to care for approximately 3- to 40 additional patients.

NWH executive director Derek Anderson said the hospital currently has capacity for COVID-19 patients on its inpatient and intensive care units, and will fill every possible bed inside the hospital before using beds in the field hospital.

"We recognize the sight of a field hospital on our grounds may be jarring for the community, but our hope is that it sends a reassuring message of preparation," Anderson said. "The reality is that there is an ongoing need for more hospital beds to treat COVID-positive patients in both New York State and our community. We hope we will never need to use the field hospital, but its existence is part of our ongoing commitment to provide the highest level of compassionate care for our community and support other hospitals in need."

Since NWH treated its first patient with coronavirus four weeks ago, it has cared for over 176 hospitalized, COVID-19- positive patients and hundreds more who came through the Emergency Department.

It has discharged more than 74 patients who were hospitalized with the virus.