PLANO (WBAP/KLIF)- Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Plano has tents set up in the lobby to help combat overcrowding in the emergency rooms.
Texas Health Plano President Joshua Floren says the tents are used as treatment areas for non-Covid patients. He said given the increased demand, they wanted to be able to expand capacity so those patients can be seen and treated quickly.
“We came up with this plan so we didn’t come across a situation were patients were waiting a long time in the waiting room or not being seen at all,” said Floren.
The lobby space is easily accessible and tents offer privacy for the patients. 
“We have talked to many of the patients and they have been very appreciative and grateful that we have given them another opportunity to move through the system more quickly and be seen and certainly that we have them separated,” he said
Floren said they rented out the tents to respond to the surge in hospitalizations and plan to keep them as long as needed.
“Maybe keep them up for the next month or so and watch the numbers and if the numbers go down substantially we will return the tents or hold onto them as a precautionary measure,” he said.
They can treat eight patients at a time in the overflow lobby area. Floren said during the first day of operation, they treated 15 patients in the overflow area over a 4 hour period.
