Local hospitals, state leaders work to expand bed capacity

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    HARTFORD, CT (WFSB) — As Connecticut prepares for a surge in cases, hospitals are looking at ways to expand their capacity.

Hospitals are taking a number of steps. For example, Saint Francis has set up a tent as a mobile field hospital.

Many are also looking at ways to convert space within their own buildings.

Gov. Ned Lamont’s office has also been looking at facilities around the state that could be used for medical purposes.

Officials said on Monday that there are about 6,500 beds currently in the state, but the goal is to expand that as much as possible over the coming days.

As of Sunday, nearly 2,000 people had tested positive for COVID-19, but that’s up from just 327 from a week prior.

Medical experts expect the numbers to continue going up for at least a few more weeks.

So, officials said they are looking at everything from nursing homes that are no longer in use, to college dorms, and even venues like the Connecticut Convention Center, Webster Bank Arena, and even Mohegan Sun.

However, this isn’t just about space for COVID-19 patients, but officials are preparing for the need to separate other patients, like those from accidents or who suffered a heart attack or stroke.

They’re even preparing for the possibility of temporarily housing medical workers who don’t want to go home.

“Well one, you have to have the space. Two, it has to be somewhere where you can isolate and create negative pressure,” said Andrew Agwunobi, CEO of UConn Health Center.

“They really are at a fundamental level of a critical care nurse, and we are just giving them the additional opportunity for training,” said Caryl Ryan, vice president of Patient Services at UConn Health Center.

Hospitals are also trying to increase their staffing, including training staff in other departments to handle patients with COVID-19.

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