Northern Westchester Hospital to house field hospital on grounds to keep ahead of potential need for additional beds for COVID-19 patients

MOUNT KISCO, N.Y., April 11, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- As part of planning efforts to ensure it has the capacity to hospitalize patients with COVID-19 Northern Westchester Hospital (NWH) has announced the construction of a field hospital that will be patient ready on Saturday, April 11.

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 hospital's north parking lot and give NWH the ability to care for approximately 30- 40 additional patients in a safe environment, with direct oversight.

According to NWH executive director Derek Anderson, 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," said Anderson. "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. We are grateful to our dedicated physicians, nurses, and health care providers, as well as staff and administrators who have filled odd hour shifts, nontraditional roles and learned new skills to support our caregivers on the front lines."

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, and helped mothers, including some who are COVID positive, deliver healthy newborns. NWH is also assisting colleagues at other Northwell hospitals, including Long Island Jewish Forest Hills and Valley Stream hospitals, which continue to see high surges.

"It is important to note," added Anderson, "that Northern Westchester Hospital continues to have enough capacity for those in our immediate community, and is ready for any patient that may require a hospital bed."

About Northern Westchester Hospital
Northern Westchester Hospital (NWH), a member of Northwell Health, provides quality, patient-centered care that is close to home through a unique combination of medical expertise, leading-edge technology, and a commitment to humanity. Over 650 highly-skilled physicians, state-of-the-art technology and professional staff of caregivers are all in place to ensure that you and your family receive treatment in a caring, respectful and nurturing environment. NWH has established extensive internal quality measurements that surpass the standards defined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Hospital Quality Alliance (HQA) National Hospital Quality Measures. Our high-quality standards help to ensure that the treatment you receive at NWH is among the best in the nation. For more information, please visit http://www.nwhc.net and connect with us on Facebook.

About Northwell Health
Northwell Health is New York State's largest health care provider and private employer, with 23 hospitals, about 750 outpatient facilities and more than 13,600 affiliated physicians. We care for over two million people annually in the New York metro area and beyond, thanks to philanthropic support from our communities. Our 70,000 employees – 16,000-plus nurses and 4,000 employed doctors, including members of Northwell Health Physician Partners – are working to change health care for the better. We're making breakthroughs in medicine at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. We're training the next generation of medical professionals at the visionary Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and the Hofstra Northwell School of Graduate Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies. For information on our more than 100 medical specialties, visit Northwell.edu and follow us @NorthwellHealth on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

SOURCE Northern Westchester Hospital