Des Moines, IA --
Polk County Emergency Management has a plan for an emergency field hospital... if one is needed.
"It is very much a backup plan." Polk County Emergency Manager A.J. Mumm tells WHO Radio News.
"It's our responsibility. There is an expectation that the community has for us to be ahead of this. So, we doing the planning now, and hopefully it's never used."
He says Iowa hospitals do still have enough beds for all the patients who need them.
"As of now the hospital systems are using other strategies to load balance patients and rooms across the state." Mumm says.
The location of the field hospital would depend on where in the region or even where in the state the greatest need might arise.
Graphic from Polk County Emergency Management.