Tuesday, April 14, 2020 | 4:24 p.m.
The Las Vegas Convention Center would be turned into an alternate care facility if area hospitals reach their capacity in treating coronavirus patients, Clark County officials said today.
The temporary facility in the center’s South Hall was designed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in consultation with local officials. The initial four-day buildout would contain 450 beds and could be expanded to 900 beds.
Construction would only commence if the number of occupied hospital beds appeared to be reaching capacity.
Statewide, more than 3,000 people have tested positive for the coronavirus and 130 have succumbed to COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. A vast majority of the cases have been in the Las Vegas area.
At 908,500 square feet, the South Hall is an ideal space for the temporary facility because of its size, location and adaptability, officials said.
“We at the Convention Center are certainly happy to be a community partner and a small part of this effort,” said Steve Hill, CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority .
“Nothing would make us happier than to not have to use this facility, but the Convention Center is a community resource and it’s a place the community has looked to to respond to many things over the years and this crisis is no exception,” Hill said.
Clark County Fire Chief John Steinbeck, who oversees the county’s Multi-Agency Coordination Center, said the goal would be to “free up space to care for the most critical patients at our existing hospitals and also to provide quality care to patients requiring medical supervision prior to being discharged home in an alternate-care setting.”
The first phase of the plan would have 300 beds for coronavirus patients who need some monitoring but no IV therapy or intensive care. Another 150 beds on a separate floor would be designated for patients who don’t have coronavirus but require post-operative care.
Clark County Commission Chairwoman Marilyn Kirkpatrick said hospitals are not now near capacity, but “we are ready to put this plan into action if we need it.
“As a community, our early actions have made a difference in the caseload we are seeing,” Kirkpatrick said.
Schools have been closed and Gov. Steve Sisolak ordered casinos and other nonessential businesses closed until at least May 1.
The facility would be managed by a team of local emergency management officials and University Medical Center. UMC medical staff would provide patient care, with support from Medical Reserve Corps of Southern Nevada volunteers.
“While we certainly hope the additional space is not needed, UMC’s world-class team members remain ready to provide care and oversee operations at the Las Vegas Convention Center to ensure patients receive the highest quality of care,” hospital CEO Mason VanHouweling said.
VanHouweling said social distancing guidelines have had a “huge impact” in mitigating a patient surge.
Outside of the potential plans for the Convention Center, CrossRoads of Southern Nevada and Well Care Services have a combined 153 beds for patients who need isolation and medical care.
The Salvation Army has 32 beds for patients older than 65 who have underlying medical issues.
The Clark County-Las Vegas Isolation and Quarantine Complex at Cashman Center has 500 acute care beds for homeless patients who need virus quarantine or isolation but not hospitalization.
The Southern Nevada Health District also plans to build a 30-plus bed isolation facility next to its main building.
