UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh set up a tent outside of its emergency department last week to manage an increased volume of patients with respiratory illnesses, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Nov. 7.
Like children's hospitals across the nation, UPMC Children's is seeing a surge in patients with respiratory illnesses such as flu and respiratory syncytial virus. As of Nov. 7, the average wait to be seen was more than six hours at the hospital's ED, according to UPMC's wait-time tracker.
The tent, which can hold up to 10 patients, is meant to reduce strain on the emergency department and help staff evaluate more children sooner, Raymond Pitetti, MD, director of UPMC Children's emergency department, said in a video the hospital shared on social media Nov. 7.
"UPMC Children's has the capacity to care for any child needing care," a spokesperson told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "This tent is well-equipped and fully staffed, enabling us to further streamline our process as we assess the needs of our patients."
About 92 percent of intensive care unit beds were occupied across the state as of Nov. 7, according to the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania.