Photo Credit: Interior Design Magazine

Last spring, as the rise of COVID-19 continued to create a shortage of traditional hospital beds throughout the city of Chicago, Western Shelter was contacted by the United States Army Corps of Engineers to provide a reliable solution. Within days, our highly motivated team developed an isolation system that was designed to care for patients, and safely protect medical staff. We fully outfitted the McCormick Place Convention Center with 750 isolation units to help alleviate additional stress that wreaked havoc on local healthcare facilities so that providers could focus on treating those experiencing low-to-moderate symptoms. To date, this is the largest build of a COVID-19 response field hospital in the U.S.

The transformation of this 1.5 million square foot space quickly turned into an alternative care facility in a matter of weeks. With room for 150 medical personnel able to train onsite, along with proper space and access for 43 nursing stations and a pharmacy, this area played a critically key role in answering the call for swift and immediate humanitarian action.

Each isolation system was outfitted with its own negative pressure capability, which includes emergency power, and medical gas systems, while also operating a HEPA filtration system to combat air pollutants. These rooms are equipped with exam and patient lighting, oxygen, and a medical vacuum system. The isolation systems strategic positioning around various nursing stations configured in a U-shape, created the convenience of quickly treating up to 3,000 patients who have already been separated based on the required level of care. 

As a preferred choice and trusted advisor for the disaster and medical response communities, and maintaining a decades-long relationship with the Army Corp of Engineers, Western Shelter was honored to rise to this occasion in support of an important and complex emergency response effort.

It is essential to have a sanitary, safe, and secure medical clinic available while responding to any kind of disaster. For over three decades, we continue to offer a full range of shelter systems, including a full suite of products to create effective medical clinics.