How Field Hospitals Serve as Vital Relief Value for Healthcare Systems

Across the world communities have seen an overwhelming surge of patients that have exceed available hospital beds/facilities to adequately take care of patient needs. In response, municipalities have turned to setting up field hospitals. In  the United States most of facilities have been constructed by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers while others are built and operated by non-government entities such as healthcare systems and non-profit organizations.

The focus of the field hospitals is to serve as a relief valve for nearby hospitals. In these hospitals, medical staff can screen patients for the virus systems.  While the levels of care may vary, these hospitals can be deployed and setup in just a matter of hours to several days.  For example, ^{1 2 3 4}

• A small facility was setup in New York Central Park. They were inflatable tents that take as little as 15 minutes to inflate and are from 800-1,000 square feet depending on their use. They are made of fire-resistant PVC, floors are interlocking plastic panels. Inside, temperatures are kept at comfortable levels. The tents contain ventilators, X-ray machines, patient monitors and other medical devices.
• And then there are larger facilities in spaces such as convention centers, stadiums, parking lots, churches, athletic fields, hotels, college dorms, and fairgrounds. For example,
  • The Army Corps of Engineers and other agencies set up a 970-bed care center at the TCF Center, a 350,000-square-foot convention center in Detroit. This field hospital took 9 days to complete. This center was setup to take patients from Southern Michigan acute care hospitals who do not need intensive care or ventilators.
  • In New York, a 500-bed facility was installed by the Army inside the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. This field hospital is staffed by 650 service members. It includes ICU and intermediate patient care and has the capability to offer operating rooms, an emergency department, X-ray facilities and a pharmacy. Similar facilities were built in Dallas, TX and New Orleans, LA.
  • oU.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) constructed three field hospitals for the Navajo Nation (e.g., Chinle, AZ (2), Shiprock, NM (1)) to be used as alternative care sites where virus-positive patients are kept isolated so they can recover and then go home.

A most recent report stated that the Army Corp of Engineers had 750-plus requests from cities across the United States to build and/or help facilitate the installation of field hospitals to help take care of the expected wave of patient’s cases with the virus.  The need for field hospitals is not expected to go away anytime soon. ⁴

How Honeywell is Helping Healthcare Professionals in Field Hospitals

In order to provide accurate and safe patient care, whether it be in a traditional hospital setting or in these pop-up field locations, front line healthcare workers need a robust set of tools to manage patient data flawlessly, communicate effectively, and automate workflows prone to errors such as patient identification, point-of-care medication and specimen collection.

Honeywell’s lineup of mobile computers, barcode scanners, printers, media labels, and software for traditional and field hospital locations are made to speed up workflows while providing safe, quality care to patients.

These solutions are simple to integrate with a hospital’s existing IT infrastructure and can be implemented immediately to meet today’s demand.

Mobility

• Android-based CT40 Handheld Mobile Computer is a rugged, lightweight, pocketable design made for front line healthcare workers who need real-time patient and clinical information at the point of care.
• SL42 Captuvo Sled, with disinfectant ready housing, turns an iOS smartphone into a clinician-friendly healthcare mobility solution. It supports iPhone 6s, 6, 7, 8.

Handheld Barcode Scanners

• Xenon Extreme Performance (XP) 1952h-bf is a cordless, battery-free healthcare scanner with disinfectant ready plastics to withstand effects of harsh cleaning agents while minimizing spread of infectious disease.

Printers

• PC23D is a low cost, compact printer designed for patient wristband and labeling applications.
• Honeywell’s RP2 Rugged Label Printer is both small and portable, ideal for the mobile healthcare worker.

Media

• Custom media is available for patient wristbands and labeling applications for test vials, medication administration and specimen collection.

Software

• Honeywell Smart Talk is a unified communications solution that provides front line healthcare workers with a constant and instant connection to improve patient experience and outcomes. It’s compatible with the Honeywell CT40 and many mobile/cellular devices healthcare workers already carry.

Making Invocation Work within Your Budget

• Honeywell-as-a-Service is an offering that helps you navigate technology challenges. It provides you with an innovative approach to acquire software, hardware, and services and pay for them through a monthly payment with no upfront capital outlay.
  
  

Contact a Honeywell Solutions Expert today! Call 1-800-934-3163.

¹ Coronavirus hospitals in the field: How the Army Corps of Engineers fights COVID-19 with tents
² Army Corps scales back size of COVID-19 field hospital in suburban Detroit
³ FEMA field hospitals expand Navajo Nation's COVID-19 response
⁴ As field hospital requests skyrocket, military shifts some for coronavirus patients