Unconventional Care at a Convention Center: An Overview of Patient Focused Care at a COVID-19 Alternative Care Site in New Orleans

Maslanka, Meghan; Carlson, John C.; Gershanik, Estaban; Turang, Yanti; Hurwitz, Jacob; Warren, Michelle; Kanter, Joseph

In March 2020, the State of Louisiana opened an alternative care site at the New Orleans Convention Center, known as the Medical Monitoring Station (MMS). The facility was designed, constructed, and staffed to serve a population with basic medical needs as they recovered from COVID-19. As the MMS prepared to open, local hospitals indicated a greater need for assistance with patients requiring a higher acuity of care and populations unable to be discharged due to infection risks. In response to this, the capabilities of the facility were altered to accommodate primarily elderly patients, with significant comorbidities, requiring extensive care. This manuscript presents the demographics of the first 250 patients seen at the MMS, and describes the most critical policies/protocols, interventions, and resources that proved successful in adjusting to effectively serve its population.