Surge capacity in a crisis: a case study

In the spring of 2020, as the COVID-19 virus spread rapidly around the globe and hospitalizations increased, major hospitals faced the stark reality that they simply didn’t have enough capacity to cope with the sheer numbers of sick people arriving through their doors.

Faced with a rapidly deteriorating situation, healthcare facilities scrambled to increase their ‘surge capacity’ – their ability to fit more patients into their existing building footprints. Space needed to be repurposed fast while keeping a close eye on safety and infection control protocols.

More patient spaces, fast

For one major hospital in the Greater Toronto Area, finding ways to divide space quickly and create privacy for increased numbers of patients was a major challenge. Additionally, the solution had to meet strict infection prevention and control guidelines, while being easy to clean with hospital-grade cleaning agents.

Enter the SwiftScreen Mobile Privacy Divider, which this customer selected for its versatility and affordability. 

At the height of the third wave, the hospital in question had more COVID-19 patients than any other hospital in Ontario, and almost 4,000 admissions of patients with COVID-19 overall. 

SwiftScreen enabled the hospital to accommodate and care for these patients safely and with dignity. With locking casters, it could be moved into position anywhere, and it’s smooth, rigid panels were easy to clean.

Hundreds of dividers were deployed, and many will continue to be used on an ongoing basis for patient privacy.

A senior project manager at the hospital commented: “Your mobile screens have been invaluable to us, and we have appreciated your great service.”

To find out more about our SwiftScreen privacy dividers and how they can work for healthcare interiors, get in touch.