An alternative care site on the vacant third floor of Montana Children’s that had been prepared for a potential surge in COVID-19 patients is now being set up to begin receiving patients.

According to Kalispell Regional Healthcare’s website, the facility will be ready to go by “early December,” though no specific date was provided as to when that might be.

Hospital spokesperson Mellody Sharpton said in an email “we are setting it up operationally, so it will immediately be operational should the state determine it needs to be opened.” She added it’s state officials who determine when patients will be sent to the facility, not Kalispell Regional.

The alternative care site was constructed last spring by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers under a mission assignment from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The facility “was established to serve the region in the event of pandemic escalation,” according to Kalispell Regional’s website. The site is one of two that were constructed in the state and will be occupied by non-COVID patients in order to create more capacity for treating patients infected with the virus in the hospitals’ acute-care settings.

The site is funded by FEMA without any cost to the hosting facility. The state of Montana is responsible for supplies and equipment outside of the federally funded construction. FEMA is funding the 75% federal cost share for the project, while Montana will fund the remaining 25%.

The temporary facility can support a 100-bed patient care unit that includes modular patient pods, nursing stations, and an open visitor area with views of Whitefish Mountain Resort and Glacier National Park. According to the website, Kalispell Regional initially will prepare 50 of those beds for use and can operationalize additional beds as needed.

“We’re honored that KRH was selected as a site for an ACS (alternative care site) and are thankful to have this resource for Montana hospitals,” said Cory Short, hospitalist and physician leader at Kalispell Regional. “With the increase in COVID-19 cases across the state, having this additional capacity and staff support from the state of Montana will help provide relief to health-care systems and provide patients with needed health-care services.”

FLATHEAD CITY-COUNTY Health Department community indicators show the valley’s local health-care system has been operating at Level Three since late September. That is defined as anytime the hospital has 15 or more individuals hospitalized for COVID-19, though hospital officials have said that number is far from its treatment capabilities.

While the capacity indicator tops out at 15 or more patients for critical capacity, hospitalizations have typically ranged from 20 to 30 patients, give or take, according to health department data. Kalispell Regional has had a dedicated COVID-19 unit since the start of the pandemic that can handle around 30 patients, with other adjacent units that can take on more, if needed.

“Currently, Montana hospitals are operating at a critical capacity, but have not reached the point of patient overflow,” Short said on Monday. “In the event of a patient surge, the ACS at KRH will be prepared to care for our state’s patients.”

Flathead County currently has more than 2,000 active cases of COVID-19, according to state data. To date, the area has experienced nearly 7,100 cases total, with nearly 5,000 of those having recovered from the virus. Thirty-nine Flathead County residents have died from the COVID-19-related complications.

Reporter Kianna Gardner can be reached at 758-4407 or kgardner@dailyinterlake.com