Kaleida Health in Buffalo, N.Y., is recommending hospitals use ASCs to accommodate COVID-19 patients, according to Niagara Frontier Publications.
Kaleida Health said it could increase bed capacity by 50 percent by adding intensive care beds at all of its hospitals, converting space at old hospitals and by using ambulatory surgery space.
"We have taken the approach that the surge is likely coming and that a major spike in positive coronavirus cases will result in sicker patients and increased admissions across the community and our health system," Kaleida Health President and CEO Jody L. Lomeo said. "Having regulatory relief and clear direction from the state can only help us as we move forward."
The health system is changing the scope of practice for licensed personnel and creating dedicated coronavirus care teams.