(WWJ) The Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi is usually home to popular events including the Novi Boat Show, the Novi Home and Garden Show, Motor City Comic Con and more.
Now, it is one of the battlefields in Michigan's fight against coronavirus. Today, it opened its doors to its first patients.
The 250,000 square foot convention center contains 250 beds for COVID-19 patients in various stages of battling the disease and recovery. A press release from the State of Michigan says the 'alternate care facility' will include 'patient triage; physician, nursing and other support services, pharmacy, administrative staff and a command center.'
It will not be able to accommodate people needing a ventilator or an intensive care bed.
Ascension Michigan and St. Joseph Mercy Health System will provide staff and management to the Suburban Collection Showplace. Patients from those two health systems are slated to arrive first, but people from other hospitals will be considered if they meet specific admission criteria.
Patients arriving via ambulance or walk-in will not be accepted.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer lauded the Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District; the Michigan National Guard and Ascension Health for readying the facility in just 15 days.
"There has been tremendous collaboration on our alternate care facilities in Michigan, helping to provide critical capacity for our hospitals during this global pandemic," Whitmer said in the press release. "The effort involved….to get a second facility operational in two weeks once again demonstrates the innovation and collaboration that is helping Michigan get the upper hand in the fight against COVID-19."
The TCF Center in downtown Detroit was Michigan's first alternate care facility for COVID-19 patients. It opened its doors on April 10th. During Friday's press conference; Mayor Mike Duggan called it our "central report card" on measuring the city's success in fighting the virus. Only 13 patients are in treatment at the TCF Center.
"We don't know how much longer it will need to be there," Duggan said. "But I was really pleased to see the Secretary of the Army, who visited last Friday…was celebrating what Detroit had done to make sure we had not (needed it)."
Early plans for the Suburban Collection Showplace called for 1,000 beds. But the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Detroit District and health officials made the decision to scale back to 250 beds amid early evidence Metro Detroit is flattening its curve.
"We are cautiously optimistic," Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, Michigan's Chief Medical Executive, said during Governor Whitmer's Friday press conference. "But we are by no means out of the woods when it comes to COVID-19 in the state of Michigan."
Health officials and many politicians are pleading with the public to continue to stay home and social distance, even as Governor Whitmer announced the loosening of some restrictions. A "Stay at Home, Stay Safe" order is in effect through May 15th. You can read more about that here.
Whitmer tweeted Friday: "Remember, stay home and stay safe. We're going to get through this together."
