Covid-19 SurgeNorwalk, Calif., July 29, 2020 – Coast Plaza Hospital shared today that on Friday, July 24th, it received an additional emergency medical field unit, adding to the unit already in place, to expand capacity during this time. Through its partnership with International Medical Corps, Coast Plaza Hospital and its sister facilities managed by Pipeline Health are incredibly grateful to receive much needed critical-care equipment to handle the influx of COVID-19 patients safely. The field units, equipment and supplies are provided by International Medical Corps thanks to funding provided by AbbVie and logistical and shipping support provided by FedEx.

“We are so grateful to the IMC for their generosity, collaboration and ingenuity during this difficult time,” said Patrick Rafferty, CEO of Coast Plaza Hospital.  “The supplies that they have provided us with, both directly and through their partnerships, make it possible for us to meet the needs of our community.  I am also honored to work with an amazing team here at CPH. Chief Nursing Officer Downapha Britton and Director of Engineering & Operations Kevin Akrey played key roles in making the field unit operational in order to expand capacity and safely care for our patients.”

In April, as part of its global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, International Medical Corps deployed emergency medical field units, personal protective equipment (PPE) and other medical supplies to four acute-care hospitals in Los Angeles operated by Avanti Hospitals—Coast Plaza Hospital, East Los Angeles Doctors Hospital, Community Hospital of Huntington Park and Memorial Hospital of Gardena—to help meet challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The PPE has helped to ensure that staff are protected and able to care for others, while the field units—which come complete with an HVAC system for cooling and heating—provide extra space to screen incoming patients for COVID symptoms. Each month, the organization has continued to send additional supplies, such as pulse oximeters and portable handwashing sinks to keep up with patient and staff needs.

International Medical Corps delivers emergency medical and related services to those affected by conflict, disaster and disease, no matter where they are, no matter what the conditions.  For more information about the organization, go to https://internationalmedicalcorps.org.

About Coast Plaza Hospital

Coast Plaza Hospital is a 117-acute-bed hospital that has been serving Norwalk and the surrounding areas of Southeast Los Angeles county for over 55 years. They are accredited by the Joint Commission and are licensed providers for Medicare and Medi-Cal programs, along with many HMOs, PPOs and managed care organizations. The hospital provides affordable, high-quality healthcare with consistency and compassion, and offers a wide range of services, including 24-hour adult and pediatric Emergency Department services, complete intensive care, critical care and progressive care services.  For more information visit cph.avantihospitals.com.