Local agencies chip in to help set up tents for additional ER space at Dixie Regional Medical Center

The BLU-MED tent at DRMC expands their emergency room capacity and capabilities, St. George, Utah, March 14, 2020 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — On Saturday, multiple local agencies came together to help set up tent additions onto the Dixie Regional Medical Center emergency room. The tent is a move towards preparedness for the new COVID-19 coronavirus.

Local agencies help assemble the BLU-MED tent at DRMC, St. George, Utah, March 14, 2020 | Photo courtesy of Washington County Emergency Services, St. George News

“Thanks to community efforts, emergency department volumes at Intermountain Dixie Regional Medical Center remain average for this time of year,” DRMC director of communications Terri Draper said in a release. “However, in an effort to remain prepared, today the hospital working with the Southwest Utah Public Health Department and other community preparedness agencies, deployed the Utah Department of Health’s BLU-MED Tent. It is located near the emergency department in case it is needed in the future to extend emergency department capacity.”

On Thursday, Intermountain Healthcare announced it is making temporary changes to its emergency room intake procedures systemwide, including at DRMC and Cedar City Hospital. The emergency rooms will have separate areas with negative pressure isolation rooms for people complaining of respiratory issues.

The agencies that chipped in to help out were Washington County Emergency Services, Washington County Search and Rescue, Dixie State University, Washington City Fire Department, the Southwest Utah Public Health Department and other fire departments, according to a Washington County Emergency Services Facebook post.

While no COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Southern Utah as of right now, the additional tents are strictly to help DRMC be prepared for it. On Saturday, the Utah Department of Health announced a patient diagnosed with the COVID-19 virus in Northern Utah was the first in the state to get the virus through community spread instead of from travel.

The BLU-MED tent at DRMC expands their emergency room capacity and capabilities, St. George, Utah, March 14, 2020 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

“This is a part of our community’s preparedness efforts and other hospitals across Utah are setting up similar ED extension preparedness tents now that Utah has had the first case of “community spread” in Summit County,” Draper said. “At this time, the tents are not being used.”

COVID-19 information resources

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.

Free News Delivery by Email

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!