Erlanger adding triage tents outside emergency room entrances in response to COVID-19

Staff photo by C.B. Schmelter / Tents are seen being set up outside of the adult emergency room at Erlanger on Monday, March 30, 2020 in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Staff photo by C.B. Schmelter / Tents are seen being set up outside of the adult emergency room at Erlanger on Monday, March 30, 2020 in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Erlanger Health System is in the process of erecting additional triage tents outside its emergency rooms at Erlanger Baroness Hospital, Children's Hospital at Erlanger and Erlanger East Hospital, according to a news release sent Monday.

Officials said these tents would allow Erlanger staff to triage individuals experiencing respiratory problems and/or fever in the tents, isolating them from the emergency rooms. Area residents visiting these emergency rooms with other health care conditions or injuries would proceed into the emergency rooms for treatment.

As with other health care facilities, this action is being implemented in an abundance of caution in the event of a surge in emergency patients and the need arises to activate the triage tents for medical purposes, the news release said.

Many medical offices and clinics across the region are transitioning health care services to telemedicine and using triage tents outside in order to minimize person to person contact and reduce the risk of COVID-19 exposure.

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