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Sneak peek inside the COVID-19 surge center

Goal is to relieve pressure on EMS workers

MEMPHIS, Tennessee —

For the first time, we are getting a look inside the transformed Pipkin Center at the Mid-South Fairgrounds.

The building has been turned into a COVID-19 surge center for patients. If there is a huge surge the center will be activated. EMS workers can bring patients there by ambulance for a patient assessment. It has 120 beds. You can only get here in the back of an ambulance.

Inside the Pipkin, the trailers are used as nursing stations. They hold supplies and are for logistics operations. The surge center is meant to house less symptomatic COVID-19 patients. It will only be used if hospitals begin backing up and EMS workers can’t off-load patients from ambulances in less than an hour.

"We've learned that other cities once it hits that all you see is basically COVID patients. You're not seeing heart attacks, you are not seeing strokes. Everyone is complaining about some type of COVID type illness," said Deputy Chief Angie Shelton-Sullivan, Memphis Fire Department.

Volunteers will staff the building, which also includes two tents, where if patients deteriorate, they can get treatment.

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"These are the field hospitals to be used in a state of emergency. We can actually take patients in the tents and inside there we have a recess room. We've got suction. If we need to intubate, we could do that. We can do anything we need to to work a patient in there," said Shelton-Sullivan.

After the assessment, patients who need further treatment will be transferred to a hospital or they will be discharged. As a reminder the general public should not bring people here. This building is only being used for people arriving by ambulance.

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