The California Emergency Medical Services Agency is currently seeking interested parties to enter into a public/private partnership to maintain the integrity of its Mobile Field Hospital (MFH) program, which provides up to 600 beds of acute care hospital surge capacity anywhere in the state within 72 hours.

EMSA’s MFH program was developed with an “all hazards” approach to California’s hospital surge needs during emergencies. The MFH program:

• Is designed for use during earthquakes, fires, floods and man-caused events
• Is based on the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Medical System
• At 600 beds is the largest non-military mobile hospital program in the world
• Contains three 200-bed hospitals that allow for rapid transportation, set-up and patient treatment process to begin in 72 hours or less anywhere in the State (ED, ICU and OR ready in about 48 hours)
• May be deployed as one 600-bed hospital, or configured in any size necessary to fit the needs generated by the event (beginning at 50 beds)
• Is able to be transported by ground, sea or air as necessary

Public/private partnerships will ensure long-term survival of this valuable program. EMSA seeks private partners in California to ensure the ongoing availability of its hospital surge program whenever the need arises. The ideal partners must provide either financial support or maintenance and storage for one or more of these units in California. In exchange for providing this service, the partnered hospital will be able to use the unit for exercises, for training purposes or real-life events.

Facilities included are: 200-bed MHF, 50-bed critical care facilities, 50-bed alternative care facilities, and 60-bed evacuation facilities.

Letters of interest specifying level of program participation can be submitted by Dec. 14 to:

Contact: Jaime Garcia
(213) 538-0702, jgarcia@hasc.org