Howard University News April 13, 2020 Howard University Hospital Boosts Capacity to Meet Expected COVID-19 Surge in D.C. In order to continue its mission to serve the Washington, D.C. community through quality care and accessibility, Howard University Hospital (HUH) is assisting with the local response to the coronavirus pandemic, also known as COVID-19. "Howard University Hospital has proudly served the D.C. community for more than 150 years and we will be here to help our patients get through the coronavirus pandemic," said Dr. Hugh E. Mighty, Howard University vice president of clinical affairs and dean of the College of Medicine. "Our dedicated team of professionals are trained in COVID-related treatment protocols and ready to provide quality care and service in times of need." The hospital is responding to the challenge of an anticipated surge in patient admissions during the COVID-19 crisis. In preparation, HUH has erected a new triage tent on the grounds of the main hospital in Northwest Washington and transformed an academic wing in the facility to accommodate the potential increase in coronavirus-related cases. Recently, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser set a specific mandate for all District of Columbia Hospital Association members in response to the city's comprehensive COVID-19 (coronavirus) medical surge plan. The plan calls for boosting hospital bed availability, including intensive care unit capacity, and ventilator availability for COVID-19 patients. The mayor's directive called for every D.C. hospital to increase bed capacity by 125 percent within its existing infrastructure. To meet the directive, HUH is expanding its bed capacity. "HUH has identified the needed space for the additional beds, addressing staffing levels, equipment needs and supplies," said Anita L.A. Jenkins, HUH CEO. "We are fortunate to have spaces in our facility and are able to reconfigure/relocate some of our existing units to make surge space for the additional beds. We are now in the execution phase to achieve these goals. HUH will be ready to serve our patients during these extraordinary times." The triage tent will expand the capabilities of the HUH emergency room. It will be equipped with independent bays where medical staff can triage, or evaluate, patients for symptoms and treatments inside the main hospital. The tent system ensures that hospital staff and patients maintain proper social distancing while patients get the appropriate treatment they need. In addition, HUH is transforming several wings in order to address the needs to care for patients with COVID-19. One such space is the 6-West Wing. Previously, the wing was used for academic and training purposes in the Howard University College of Nursing. The wing allows HUH staff to separate patients who have coronavirus symptoms from other patients in order to decrease the likelihood of spreading the illness. Overall, the city is expecting 5,000 inpatient admissions during the crisis. CEO Jenkins says Howard University Hospital is ready to be a part of the solution to help the DMV get through these trying times. "Howard University Hospital is a committed to the health and safety of our community and caregivers," Jenkins said. "We appreciate our neighbors doing their parts by remaining home for the safety of their families and loved ones. However, when our neighbors need medical attention, we'll be here ready to provide assistance and get them on the road to recovery." SANDRA M. PHOENIX HBCU Library Alliance Executive Director Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library 111 James P. Brawley Drive SW Atlanta GA 30314 404-978-2118 (office) 404-702-5854 (cell) http://www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> Honor the ancestors, honor the children and those yet to come. Building Capacity for Humanities Special Collections at HBCUs - Become an ally and partner with us to protect, preserve and share a more authentic record of American history. Follow this link http://hbculibraries.org/humanities-2019.html for more information. Follow this link http://hbculibraries.org/ and click on the Donate Now button to invest in this project. Your support is appreciated. Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/hbculibraryalliance1/ and Twitter at https://twitter.com/HBCULibAlliance Check out "PULSE!" The HBCU Library Alliance's News Source! - https://hbculibraryalliance.wordpress.com/