Mich. Wing Supports COVID-19 Patient Center

Members of the Michigan Wing are helping staff the first alternate care center established in Michigan in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The TCF Care Center opened in Detroit in late March to accommodate the overflow of coronavirus patients and accept noncritical virus patients from local hospitals. The facility was converted from a large convention center to a 1,000-bed hospital in 10 days, at which point it accepted its first patients.

Michigan Wing members are helping support operations at the TCF center, which is staffed by doctors, nurses and health care professionals from the National Public Health Service, Michigan Health and Human Services, the Air Force and U.S. Army Reserve and the Michigan Army and Air National Guard. Along with the Michigan Wing members, the balance of the 500-member support staff includes personnel from the Department of Natural Resources, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and contractors.

The state Emergency Operations Center also established and staffed an incident command post at the facility.

The state has also asked Civil Air Patrol to transport personal protective equipment and assist with food distribution. In addition, the wingl has been tasked with assisting with the delivery of COVID-19 test kits to communities in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.