The North Carolina mobile hospital set up in Atlanta is capable of handling up to 30 temporary emergency room beds.
Jan. 10, 2020 – North Carolina’s Office of Emergency Medical Services (NCOEMS) Mobile Disaster Hospital was deployed Dec. 16 to aid Atlanta’s Grady Memorial Hospital after a burst water pipe damaged more than 200 rooms.
Three modular units that include an intensive care unit and inpatient flex space units are in use while the hospital is under repair.
“North Carolinians understand what it is like to need extra support during times of disaster,” said Tom Mitchell, Office of Emergency Medical Services Chief. “A mobile hospital can be a critical asset and we are glad to be in a position to offer this temporary assistance to our neighbors in Georgia.”
The mobile hospital can be deployed to augment and or temporarily replace a medical facility or local health care infrastructure affected by a disaster or emergency event.
The mobile hospital is expected to be in Atlanta supporting Grady Health System for a minimum of three months. Grady is using the mobile hospital for emergency department (ED) medical surge capabilities as they have converted part of the ED into an inpatient unit to account for the damage that occurred after the water pipe break.
Members of the NCOEMS coordinated team prepared the mobile disaster hospital for deployment to Atlanta Grady Memorial Hospital.
To aid in community recovery, local health care organization personnel staff the mobile hospital units so they are able to continue to work. Because it is made up of scalable, modular units, the mobile hospital is designed to meet the varied needs of any community it serves.
The mobile hospital can be deployed by ground transportation within 48-72 hours. All units can begin operations within 48 hours of arrival, with exception of the ICU which can be operational within 72 hours.
NCOEMS, part of DHHS’ Division of Health Service Regulation, helps to foster and maintain resilient communities by supporting the needs, goals and objectives of health care partners in North Carolina. Their mission is to support emergency response organizations working to prepare for, mitigate, respond to and recover from disasters and emergency events.