Responding to recent spikes in positive COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, San Bernardino County is bringing back Alternate Care Sites (ACS) to handle possible hospital overload while ensuring those who need medical care can receive it. An initial ACS has been set up in parking lot 14 at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC) in Colton and is being referred to as the ACS Village. It is comprised of a nursing unit, patient care areas with 32 beds, an isolation pod, and a command center for staff breaks. The county is currently investigating additional potential sites near other county medical facilities.
“Our previous peak in hospitalizations was in early April, but we’ve recently experienced a significant increase in patients, including a doubling of our hospitalization rate over the past 30 days,” said Dr. Troy Pennington, an emergency room physician at ARMC. “Many of our hospitals are nearing the point of using beds beyond their normal licensed capacity.”
While county hospitals are currently able to handle the increased demand, the Alternate Care Sites are being established to handle potential surges in cases, allowing hospitals to focus resources on those patients with the most serious needs.
