GNYHA Surge Capacity Taskforce – Emergency Preparedness Bulletin

GNYHA has assembled a coalition of architects, engineers, and builders to help hospitals and other healthcare facilities identify and evaluate unused space that can be quickly activated to increase surge capacity to treat COVID-19 patients. Below, please find information about how to request support from the Taskforce. Syska Hennessy is proud to be part of this important effort to help our healthcare facilities.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that New York State will need as many as 140,000 acute care and intensive care unit beds within 14 to 21 days. Given the magnitude of this challenge, GNYHA’s Surge Space Capacity Taskforce is available to rapidly assess sites and match them to their maximum potential bed count and appropriate acuity level.

Yesterday, hospitals submitted surge plans to the New York State Department of Health (DOH) after they were mandated to increase their bed capacity by 50% and as much as 100%. The Taskforce will help hospitals prioritize and plan to meet or exceed this goal by assessing unused hospital-owned spaces, long-term care facilities, and alternative sites such as hotels and commercial real estate. GNYHA is also working with NYC Emergency Management and DOH to procure staffing, supplies, and other resources that will be needed to occupy and activate these surge sites.

To request the services of the Taskforce, please contact tkrawetz@syska.com or the GNYHA at at drackleff@gnyha.org