WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, today joined FEMA Region Five Administrator James Joseph, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and U.S Representative Haley Stevens (MI-11) on a tour of an alternate care facility being built at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, Michigan. As part of the federal government’s efforts to respond to the Coronavirus the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently announced they are coordinating to turn the Suburban Collection Showplace into a 250-bed medical care center for Coronavirus patients. This medical facility is expected to begin admitting patients on April 25th, and will help provide relief to local hospitals that are overburdened by the significant increase in Coronavirus patients in recent months.
“Our health care providers are working tirelessly on the frontlines to save Michiganders’ lives and help us combat the Coronavirus pandemic,” said Senator Peters, Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. “These frontline workers urgently need assistance from the federal government to try and stay ahead of this disease and care for themselves and their patients. I called for FEMA to help establish temporary medical facilities to provide additional support to Michigan hospitals during this emergency, and I appreciate the efforts of leaders like Administrator Joseph, Governor Whitmer and Congresswoman Stevens as we all work together to ensure that Michigan has the resources needed to tackle this pandemic.”
“There has been tremendous collaboration on our alternate care facilities in Michigan, helping to provide critical capacity for our hospitals during this global pandemic,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “The alternate care facility at Suburban Collection Showplace will help save lives here in Michigan. I appreciate the partnership with Sen. Peters, Rep. Stevens and the Michigan congressional delegation and FEMA, as well as the hard work and ingenuity of all of those involved in this incredible effort.”
“After visiting the alternative care facility being constructed at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, I am confident that we are taking the necessary steps to ease the burden on our hospitals as they experience a surge of coronavirus patients,” said Congresswoman Stevens. “Everyone involved in getting this facility up and running, from the Army Corps of Engineers to the healthcare providers to the skilled trades workers, has done a great job of ramping things up quickly so the Suburban Collection Showplace can begin accepting patients as soon as possible.”
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