Dorchester’s Carney Hospital to be nation’s first dedicated COVID-19 treatment center

Carney Hospital’s parent company, Steward Health Care, launched 3 drive-through testing centers in Utah, and other remote testing sites will be activated this week in Massachusetts and Florida, including Carney Hospital.

According to a press release from Stweart Health Care, they are “proactively preparing to handle any influx in COVID-19 patients” by announcing the establishment of designated hospitals to treat COVID-19 patients – the first being Carney Hospital in Boston:

Beginning on Tuesday, March 17, Steward Health Care’s Northeast division will begin to transform Carney Hospital into the nation’s first “Dedicated Care Center” for treating patients who test positive for COVID-19. Carney Hospital’s conversion will include the creation of negative pressure patient wards, enhanced patient isolation protocols, and the marshaling of specialty equipment needed to treat critical COVID-19 cases – including an increased supply of ventilators and personal protective equipment.

Nicholas Puleo, a spokesman for Carney and Steward, said that COVID-19 patients will only be admitted to Carney “if they need in-patient care. Most people with COVID-19 can self care and quarantine at home. This will be just for those who need in-patient [care].”

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