Memorial Hospital acquires MABAS tent for patient overflow in Hancock County

October 4, 2021 | By Muddy River News

From left, Chip Wilmott, MABAS, Division Chief; Jim Hubbard, Chief, West Point Fire Department; Adam Rhodes, Macomb Fire Department; Coulton Wascher, Training Officer, Carthage Fire Department; Kody Horn, Chief, Carthage Fire Department; Nathan Reid, Captain, Carthage Fire Department. Photo Courtesy of Memorial Hospital

CARTHAGE, Ill. — Memorial Hospital recently acquired a tent from MABAS, the state emergency management group. It is located outside of the Emergency Department entrance.

MABAS is an acronym for Mutual Aid Box Alarm System. MABAS of Illinois offers a statewide mutual aid response system for fire, EMS and specialized incident operational teams. MABAS has representatives from the Office of the State Fire Marshal, Department of Public Health – EMS Division and Illinois Fire Chiefs Association. The system defines a resource response plan to any location within the state when the governor orders a declaration of disaster.

“We are very grateful for this tent in order to plan and prepare for potential patient overflow as COVID-19 cases continue to surge in the county and region,” said Raigan Brown, chief nursing officer at Memorial Hospital.

Memorial is utilizing the tent as a location to administer Regeneron monoclonal antibody infusions. These infusions are given on an outpatient basis to people are experiencing more severe symptoms of COVID-19.

Memorial Hospital reminds people to continue taking precautionary measures and to consider receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Individuals may sign up online to receive the COVID-19 vaccination.