Columbus Hospital Systems Announce Joint Surge Location for Coronavirus Response

As we have done multiple times in recent years in response to local public health crises, the health systems within central Ohio are actively collaborating on our community’s response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Representatives from our organizations have been meeting routinely since late January to discuss COVID-19 when the first cases were announced in the United States. Hospitals across the country are preparing for a potential surge of patients with COVID-19 that will need care in the hospital. Like most hospitals, each of our surge plans also includes the potential of extending hospital care into other sites in the community such as hotels, dorms or arenas.

In collaboration with Columbus Public Health, Franklin County Public Health, the Central Ohio Hospital Council, and the Central Ohio Trauma System, our health systems have been in discussions about the development of a single, external surge site for the past few weeks. Mount Carmel, OhioHealth and The OSU Wexner Medical Center have agreed to co-locate our external surge sites at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Current pandemic planning shows that Nationwide Children’s Hospital may not need an external surge site, but there is ample space to accommodate Children’s patients at the Convention Center if that were necessary.

Prior to implementing a major community surge plan such as this one, hospitals will continue to maximize our existing capacities. That planning and coordination continues with regional hospitals, nursing homes and surgery centers as we work as a community to maximize our resources.

More details on this effort will be available in the coming days.

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Media contact: Jeff Klingler, President and CEO, Central Ohio Hospital Council

JeffK@centralohiohospitals.org

614-580-4055