Navicent Health to Utilize Atrium Health’s Carolinas MED-1 Mobile Hospital Unit

Staff Report From Middle Georgia CEO

Wednesday, December 5th, 2018

Navicent Health announced it is working with Atrium Health to bring their Carolinas MED-1 mobile hospital unit to Macon. The one-of-a-kind unit will provide the Emergency Center at The Medical Center, Navicent Health (MCNH) additional support to help with currently high Emergency Center volume, and also to proactively address anticipated additional volume during the winter months.

Atrium Health’s Carolinas MED-1 is a 14-bed mobile hospital unit that is customized to meet the specific needs of each of its missions. The mobile hospital is fully equipped to manage the variety of illnesses and injuries that traditionally present at MCNH’s Emergency Center. The unit offers nearly a thousand square feet of additional care space for MCNH’s Emergency Center to utilize, which is expected to expedite patients’ access to high quality care and decrease Emergency Center wait times. Patients treated in the mobile unit will receive the same level of high quality care currently provided in MCNH’s Emergency Center, and like the Emergency Center, the mobile unit is equipped for diagnostic testing including X-ray and ultrasound.

“We’re excited to host Atrium Health’s Carolinas MED-1 in order to expand our emergency center’s capabilities to better serve our community as we currently experience high patient volumes and also prepare in advance for what has historically been a busy time of year. This is one example of how our proposed strategic combination with Atrium Health will help improve our service to the community,” said Dr. Ninfa M. Saunders, FACHE, President and CEO of Navicent Health.

Patients presenting at MCNH’s Emergency Center for care will register at 770 Pine Street as usual. Patients will be triaged as they normally are, and directed to MED-1 for care if appropriate. Navicent Health will transport patients to the unit, which will be located on New Street between Pine and Forsyth Streets, in a special transport vehicle. MED-1 will be fully staffed with Navicent Health physicians and care providers, and will be staffed based on patient demand.

MED-1, which has been in service since 2005, is deployed across the country an average of 50-70 days per year and serves as a support unit when healthcare providers require additional infrastructure. The MED-1 unit is used to support medical facilities during busy periods, renovations and community events and was deployed to Grady Health System in Atlanta in 2017 to assist with increased patient volumes there. It has also supported hospitals during times of natural disaster, including Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Hurricane Matthew in Lumberton, N.C., and recently Hurricane Florence in Burgaw, N.C., where it served as the only operational medical facility in a 50-mile radius.

An end date for Navicent Health’s utilization of MED-1 will be determined at a later time based on emergency center volume.