VALPARAISO — Jose Crespo, an emergency medical technician with the Porter hospital system, took a walk through the hospital's new Surge Hospital inflatable mobile unit during an employee safety fair Friday.

"It's a great asset, especially with the expectation that we're having with H1N1 coming around," the Hobart resident said, referring to swine flu. "We can triage them out here until we take them in."

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Inside the mobile Surge Hospital, Gary Atherton, with Porter Hospital (left) gives a tour Friday to Jose Crespo, an EMT with the hospital. The unit is big enough for 20 to 25 people.
(Leslie Adkins/Post-Tribune)

Porter hospital officials said the Surge Hospital, named for handling a "surge" of patients, is the first of its kind for Northwest Indiana and, in addition to handling an overflow of patients during a flu pandemic, can be used in the wake of disasters or in case a portion of the Valparaiso or Portage campuses is damaged in a storm.

The unit, which sets up in less than 10 minutes and can house up to 20 patients, as well as being compatible with the hospital's two mobile decontamination units, puts the hospital on the leading edge of technology, Jonathan Nalli, Porter's CEO, said.

"Porter has and will always continue to strive to be at the forefront of medical technology," Nalli said, adding the Surge is just part of the hospital's plan for disaster preparedness. "You have to make sure you are always on your game when these types of emergencies come up."

A $130,000 grant provided by the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, through Health and Human Services and distributed through the state, paid for the Surge, including PVC-framed hospital beds, a gas-powered generator to inflate it and provide heating and air conditioning, and a storage trailer, said Gary Atherton, Porter's emergency medical services director.

"This has been our biggest purchase thus far" through the grant, Atherton said, adding the hospital has used similar grants for its decontamination units.

In addition to handling flu pandemics, disaster and hospital crises, the mustard-colored Surge also can be used for blood and vaccination drives and other programs.

"It's got a multitude of uses, but the most important thing is, it's mobile," Atherton said, adding it will be used in multiagency drills in the county and also can be taken to other places in the region if it is needed.