Yale New Haven (Conn.) Hospital physicians outlined protocols for turning a nonclinical area into a pop-up flu treatment center in a research article published in The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety.
In response to emergency department overcrowding during the 2017-18 flu season, the physicians converted a conference room into a temporary flu clinic. The clinic opened after four days of construction with help from the Connecticut Department of Public Health and met all regulatory requirements. The team screened and treated patients over one weekend with no complications.
The physicians noted other institutions could erect similar pop-up clinics to respond to future flu surges or other outbreaks.