Covid-19: NY Launches Statewide Public-Private Hospital Command Center To Share Equipment

As the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to hit New York harder than any other state in the country, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the Department of Health is working with healthcare systems to help unite public and private hospitals in an effort to share needed equipment and other resources.

A look at the rate of total hospitalizations in New York State related to COVID-19.
Photo Credit: *ny.gov*

Gov. Andrew Cuomo at New York Harbor as the 1,000-bed US Navy Hospital Ship Comfort arrives late Monday morning, March 30 before docking at Pier 90.
Photo Credit: *Contributed*

Zak Failla

03/31/2020 5:00 a.m.

Cuomo said that as part of the plan, the NYSDOH will be working with private and public healthcare systems to create a command center to share information among hospitals.

According to Cuomo, the State Department of Health will work with the statewide healthcare system to create a command center to share information between hospitals about the supplies each hospital has in stock and the supplies each hospital is ordering.

This central inventory system will help ensure the purchasing and distribution of supplies is done strategically and efficiently.

“The first step we have to take is to flatten the curve and reduce the density on our streets,” Cuomo said. “The second is to not let the hospital system get overwhelmed. It’s that simple. You know where it's coming and where this enemy is going to attack.

“That large number of people descend on our healthcare system, our healthcare system can’t handle that number, and you overwhelm the healthcare system.”

Since the outbreak began rapidly spreading throughout New York, Cuomo has been stressing the importance of increasing hospitals’ capacities, and the number of beds for potentially infected patients.

He has ordered hospitals to increase capacity by no less than 50 percent and is asking some hospitals to increase capacities by 100 percent.

As of Monday, March 30, there were positive COVID-19 cases in all but one county in New York. New York’s 66,497 COVID-19 cases remain the most in the nation, ahead of New Jersey (13,386 cases), California (6,266), Michigan (5,472), and Massachusetts (4,955).

"As the numbers continue to increase, the situation is becoming painfully clear that the front line battle of this virus will be fought in our healthcare system," Cuomo said. "We need more healthcare professionals, we need more supplies, we need more capacity and we need it now.

"The entire country has been playing catch up with this virus since day one, but in New York, we have been trying to plan forward and get ahead of the problem.

“We are continuing to stockpile supplies in preparation for the apex of the curve, and we have reached an agreement with the statewide healthcare system to coordinate and work together as one entity to balance the load of patients and share staff and resources."

Click here to follow Daily Voice Somers and receive free news updates.