Field Hospital Experience from Scripps and Atrium Health

Chris D. Van Gorder, FACHE, President and CEO, and Ghazala Q. Sharieff, MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer, Clinical Excellence and Experience, Scripps Health, and Becky G. Fox, MSN, RN-BC, VP & CNIO, Atrium Health.  As the COVID-19 outbreak began in San Diego, Scripps brought together the 23 area hospitals, the county public health department, and the area hospital association, to develop a community-wide COVID-19 response.  Similarly, Atrium Health team partnered with Novant Health to plan a COVID-19 field hospital at UNC Charlotte.  In the spirit of collaboration, Scottsdale connected these leaders to discuss best practices and lessons learned on each journey.  Chris and Dr. Sharieff share Scripps’ experience with the weekly task forces, the area field hospitals, and the staffing and supply chain efforts this group initiated; and Becky speaks to Atrium’s approach in addressing critical issues such as communication systems, physical space planning, PPE re-sterilization, and other critical challenges to prepare for the expected surge.