Ny Hospitals Set Up 'Command Center' To Share Coronavirus Load

NEW YORK, NY — Public and private hospital systems across New York state have agreed to a coordinated response to the state's coronavirus outbreak that will allow facilities to share patients, staff and equipment, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday.

A central command center that will receive information from hospitals around the state will begin operations Tuesday, Cuomo and Greater New York Hospital Association president Ken Raske said Monday. The command center will process information such as hospital bed availability, equipment inventories and staff levels at facilities around the state and use the information to direct hospitals on how they can aid other facilities — public or private — who may be under greater stress dealing with coronavirus patients.

Raske described the approach as creating a "cohesive, family system." Cuomo said Monday that hospital systems in New York City, Westchester, Long Island and upstate New York have all agreed to the coordinated effort and there are no legal barriers that prevent hospitals from transferring patients.

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The state's hospitals will also share a central equipment stockpile and source supplies as one entity, which should reduce competition for much-needed equipment such as ventilators and personal protective equipment for front-line responders. Cuomo said Monday that the level of competition for ventilators, coupled with a diminished supply, has resulted in price jumps from $20,000 to $50,000 for the life-saving machines.

One way that hospitals outside of New York City can immediately contribute to helping overwhelmed facilities is by lending staff such as doctors and nurses, Cuomo said. Staff at upstate hospitals that are not seeing as many coronavirus patients can provide valuable relief for the city's healthcare workers.

New York has 66,497 confirmed coronavirus cases as of Monday, Cuomo said during his press briefing. Of those sick with the virus, 9,517 people are currently being hospitalized and 2,352 people are in the ICU. New York's total number of coronavirus deaths is 1,218, Cuomo said.

In addition to the central command center, New York's hospitals will also be reinforced by two new facilities launching this week at Midtown Manhattan's Javits Center and the USNS Comfort hospital ship, which pulled into New York Harbor on Monday. The Javits Center will add 2,500 hospital beds and the Comfort will add 1,000 beds. Both facilities will take non-coronavirus patients, acting essentially as overflow for city hospitals, Cuomo said.

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