UW Medicine hospitals to implement coronavirus surge plan
UW Medicine is implementing a surge plan to separate low acuity ambulatory patients with respiratory illness symptoms from other patients when they arrive at hospitals’ emergency departments.
As part of this plan, low acuity ambulatory patients with respiratory illness symptoms will be directed to a tent outside of the emergency department. Following a brief evaluation, patients will be treated and discharged or directed to the most appropriate care setting in the hospital or at alternative sites of care.
Dr. Steven Mitchell, medical director of Harborview's emergency department, said this plan will allow providers to expand the number of patients they're able to see.
"It also allows us to bring together, cohort patients into a similar area and that way we can make things more efficient for them to where they can get exactly what they need in a shorter period of time," Dr. Mitchell adds.