Atrium Health has deployed a mobile hospital to its Pineville location in Charlotte, N.C., to help with emergency department services, according to a Jan. 21 news release.
The health system said the mobile hospital, at its location closest to the South Carolina border, will be used to help treat less critical patients as COVID-19 continues to surge locally and around the country.
Atrium Health has two mobile hospitals, which can provide additional space amid an increase in patients. By deploying a mobile hospital to the Pineville location, the health system can boost emergency department capacity by more than 40 percent, according to Mike Lutes, senior vice president and south market president for Atrium Health.
"Teams across Atrium Health have been planning from the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic for a variety of scenarios, including an increase in patients," spokesperson Chris Berger told Becker's. "Like all hospitals across the state and around the country, the number of patients has increased in recent weeks. Most hospitals across the state have been given permission to increase bed capacity if the need arises. At Atrium Health, during peak times, we can flex bed space to create additional capacity as needed."
Atrium Health said COVID-19 patients — and those experiencing symptoms of the virus — will not be treated in the mobile hospital. However, the mobile hospital will be open to patients who may need lab work, medication refills or imaging, such as X-rays, as well as those experiencing less critical issues such as rashes, ear pain, lacerations and minor sprains.
Read more about the mobile hospital here.