The office of Governor Gretchen Whitmer says there is a new facility online in the Detroit area to treat patients with COVID-19. The office has released the following statement:
Michigan’s second alternate care facility at Suburban Collection Showplace (SCS) in Novi opens today to provide needed care to COVID-19 patients. The alternate care facility will be ready to accept patients starting Friday, April 24. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District led the 250,000 square foot conversion of the Suburban Collection Showplace convention center into a medical facility in 15 days.
“There has been tremendous collaboration on our alternate care facilities in Michigan, helping to provide critical capacity for our hospitals during this global pandemic,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “The efforts involved by so many, including the USACE – Detroit Division, the Michigan National Guard and Ascension Michigan, to get a second medical facility operational in two weeks once again demonstrates the innovation and collaboration that is helping Michigan get the upper hand in the fight against COVID-19.”
The Suburban Collection Showplace Regional Care Center includes patient triage, physician, nursing and other patient support services, pharmacy, administrative space and a command center. The facility will accommodate 250 bed spaces for COVID-19 patients. Ascension Michigan and Saint Joseph Mercy Health System are providing management and leadership over operations of the facility with professional staff from a variety of disciplines providing care for patients on site.
Key personnel at Suburban Collection Showplace Regional Care Center were also announced today.
- Liz Popwell will act as Chief Administrative Officer leading the overall management of the SCS Regional Care Center. Popwell serves as Chief Strategy Officer for Ascension Michigan.
- Dr. Michael Feld will act as the Chief Medical Officer responsible for medical services at the SCS Regional Care Center. Dr. Feld is an emergency medicine physician with Ascension Michigan and the Region 2 North Healthcare Coalition Medical Director and the Macomb County Medical Control Authority Medical Director.
- Dr. Michael Gatt will act as Deputy Chief Medical Officer of the SCS Regional Care Center. Dr. Gatt is Chief Medical Officer of St. Joe’s Medical Group, part of Saint Joseph Mercy Health System’s employed physician group.
- Dr. Jodi Galdes will act as Deputy Incident Commander of the SCS Regional Care Center. Dr. Galdes is Chief Medical Information Officer of St. Mary Mercy Livonia hospital, one of St. Joe’s five hospitals across southeast Michigan.
The facility will initially receive patients from Ascension Michigan and St. Joe’s hospitals, but may also accept approved transfers from any healthcare facility according to specific admission criteria that have been developed. The Suburban Collection Showplace Regional Care Center will not accept patients by ambulance or walk-up. It will not have an emergency department, intensive care unit area or provide care to patients who need ventilation.
“The health and safety of our patients, associates, providers and the communities we serve is Ascension Michigan’s top priority,” said Dr. Kenneth Berkovitz, Senior Vice President, Ascension, and Ministry Market Executive, Ascension Michigan. “We are thankful for the collaboration with the Suburban Collection Showplace, the State of Michigan and the US Army Corps of Engineers and St. Joseph Mercy Health System to open this important facility that will provide expanded capacity for care during this global pandemic.”
With the opening of Suburban Collection Showplace Regional Care Center today and TCF Regional Care Center on April 10, Michigan has converted 600,000 square feet between two convention centers into 1,220 medical care bed spaces in less than 25 days to support hospitals and health systems caring for COVID-19 patients.
While hospitals are in a better position to manage patient load over the past two weeks, these alternate care facilities stand ready whenever there is a need for beds to support COVID-19 care efforts. The best possible path forward though is for residents to continue to Stay Home and Stay Safe and practice social distancing to reduce the spread of COVID-19, and the increased need for the patient beds these facilities are providing.
Information around this outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.
