NASHVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – The state of Tennessee is preparing for the predicted surge of positive COVID-19 patients. Officials estimate that surge will come the third week of April.

Recently FEMA approved Tennessee’s major disaster declaration. This allows the state, along with the Army Corp of Engineers and the Tennessee National Guard, to begin finding alternative healthcare facilities.

The alternative facilities will specifically serve as COVID-19 positive non-acute facilities.

Currently, the state plans to use four convention centers to serve as alternative facilities. This expands Tennessee’s capacity by almost 7,000 beds.

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Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). United States COVID-19 Hospital Needs and Death Projections. Seattle, United States of America: Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), University of Washington, 2020.

The Music City Center in Nashville, the Chattanooga Convention Center, the Knoxville Expo Center, and the Gateway Shopping Center in Memphis will serve as a COVID-19 positive non-acute facilities.

Changing these structures into healthcare capable facilities is not a small undertaking. There are structural and HVAC alterations that need to happen prior to a facility being deemed acceptable.

Lt. Col Sonny Avichal, commander with the Army Corps of Engineers described the logistical process it takes to prepare a facility during Governor Lee’s April 2 briefing. He stressed the importance of the facilities meeting state healthcare standards. The Army Corps of Engineers will build the facilities fitting each space to medically-acceptable standard of negative pressure, size requirements, patient space, and the medical equipment that will be used.

The four phase process is already well underway, according to Lt. Col Avichal.

The Four-Phase Process Includes:
1) Choosing the site. There have been four sites selected across the state.
2) Build out of the sites, to the standards required.
3) Supply of the facilities with necessary medical equipment.
4) Staffing the facilities with trained healthcare professionals.

Governor Lee is calling on all healthcare and medical professionals who may be displaced or furloughed to register with the state and support these efforts. Information on registration can be found here.