The nursing departments at both Bemidji State and Northwest Technical College loaned 23 patient beds to help Sanford Health of Bemidji deploy a Special Care Unit for COVID-19 patients who required inpatient care. Following an inpatient surge plan in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the temporary, negative-pressure unit provided additional space in the event that the hospital’s permanent negative pressure rooms were occupied by COVID-19 patients. Using some of the donated beds, Sanford also converted non-patient rooms in unit into additional patient rooms.

“We are immensely grateful for the patient bed donations from BSU and NTC,” Kelly Hagen, vice president of nursing and clinical services at Sanford Health of Northern Minnesota, said. “Our partnerships with their nursing departments and leadership are all the more important as we continue to face this pandemic as a community.”