PEMA Set to Remove Field Hospital from East Stroudsburg University’s Fieldhouse

East Stroudsburg University announced today that Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, working with the National Guard, will begin the process to remove the temporary field hospital that was set up in ESU’s 46,000 square foot Koehler Fieldhouse in mid-April as a precautionary measure to address any medical surge caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It is our civic duty to provide support to our community in times like these,” said ESU President Marcia G. Welsh, Ph.D. “However, I think we owe a great deal of gratitude to healthcare teams at both Lehigh Valley Hospital-Pocono and St. Luke’s for helping all of us to navigate this dangerous virus in such a way that we were able to avoid utilization of the field hospital. Now that Monroe County is in the green phase of the Governor’s guidelines to re-opening Pennsylvania, PEMA, in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Department of Health, no longer sees the need for the use of ESU’s facility, a good sign that things in the region are getting better.”

According to PEMA and Pennsylvania’s Department of Health (DOH) the field hospital was to reduce the number of patients at hospitals, especially since there were more than 1,000 coronavirus cases in the Lehigh Valley and Poconos during March and April. On April 14, 2020, the Army Corps. of Engineers delivered more than 150 cots to ESU’s Koehler Fieldhouse along with privacy screens and other medical equipment, officially creating an alternative place for medical treatment if needed during the pandemic.

“While the removal of the field hospital is a positive initiative, it does not mean our war with COVID-19 is over,” stated Dr. Welsh. “Every individual at ESU, within the Pocono Region and beyond must remain vigilant about following CDC guidelines. As we continue to bring employees back to campus and plan for the fall semester, our leadership team is committed to providing guidelines and preventative measures that promote safety. We all need to continue wearing masks when we are in public places, practicing social distancing and keeping high-touch surfaces sanitized. Every day we hear about a resurgence of COVID-19 somewhere in the U.S. Here in Monroe County, we have all the right elements to remain healthy and we need to follow best practices to stay safe.”

According to Ken Long, ESU’s vice president for administration and finance, the University will maintain the temporary air conditioning system and generator that was brought in for the field hospital as an added precaution through the summer months. While the field hospital was quickly established through the efforts of PEMA, the National Guard and the Army Corps. of Engineers, providing temporary air conditioning in ESU’s Koehler Fieldhouse would take much longer to re-establish. Mr. Long indicated that the air conditioning will remain in place as a precautionary measure should a resurgence of COVID 19 develop in coming weeks.

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