Kalispell Regional Healthcare was recently selected by Montana’s COVID-19 Task Force as a location where an alternate care facility will be constructed to serve the region in the event of pandemic escalation.

An Alternate Care Facility is an area that is temporarily converted for health-care use during a public health emergency and aids in efforts to reduce unnecessary burden on hospitals and other health-care facilities, help infected patients maintain isolation and allow low-acuity patients to be monitored and treated.

According to a press release from Kalispell Regional, although social distancing has “had a significant impact on the incidence of COVID-19 in Montana and hospital capacity has been adequate thus far,” the makeshift hospital will help prepare for a potential second wave of COVID-19 infections later in the year, which could stress Montana’s hospitals even more it if coincides directly with the flu season.

“As Montana begins the process of reopening, we remain vulnerable to a potential spike in cases,” said Maj. Gen. Matthew Quinn, the Adjutant General for Montana and leader of the Montana COVID-19 Task Force. “The extra capability this facility will provide to hospitals throughout the region is critical to ensuring the continued safety of our population.”

The temporary facility at Kalispell Regional will be built in the currently vacant third floor space of Montana Children’s. The structure, according to the press release, would be used for non-COVID-19 patients to create more capacity for treating patients infected with the virus in the hospital’s acute-care settings. It will include modular patient pods and nursing stations to support 100 beds.

“I’m proud of the continual work everyone at KRH has done to protect our patients, our community and each other during this pandemic,” Kalispell Regional Healthcare President and Chief Executive Officer Craig Lambrecht said in a prepared statement. “I’m honored that the State selected our facility as an ACF location. This will be one more emergency preparedness tool we have should our patient volumes increase this fall due to COVID-19.”

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will construct the area under a mission assignment from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in support of the state of Montana. Engineers are expected to complete their site survey this week and construction of the basic structure is expected to begin mid-to-late May and will last two to three weeks.

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

According to the press release, “when the pandemic ends,” the state will remove the patient pods and equipment and store them at a state facility for other future Alternate Care Facility needs.