Cape Coronavirus: 94-Bed Field Hospital Opening In Bourne

BARNSTABLE, MA — Officials with Cape Cod Healthcare and the National Guard have teamed up to open a field hospital for the new coronavirus at the Cape Cod Joint Base in Buzzards Bay.

The 94-bed facility was scheduled to open Monday and was one of three field hospitals Gov. Charlie Baker announced in a news conference Tuesday. He toured the new treatment center and said it looks a lot like the field hospital set up at the DCU Center in Worcester.

"Putting this field hospital at the joint base in case cod, is a great step forward ..." Baker said. "We are all incredibly grateful for the work that's been done by the National Guard across the commonwealth ... It [the facility] went from nothing to what it is now: fully outfitted and ready to go."

Michael Lauf, the CEO of Cape Cod Healthcare, said the site was equipped with portable x-ray machines, electronic records access and other valuable resources. The field hospital will be used for patients who are not in critical condition, but still aren't well enough to be sent home.

"We will make sure that we understand the patients' needs ... ," Lauf said. "We will make sure that our physicians, our nurses, our aides, our techs, our pharmacists, our PTs are all here to ensure that the best possible care can be delivered."