The Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA) announced Friday that the decommissioning process has begun for the West Allis Alternate Care Facility (ACF) as COVID-19 hospitalizations in the state continue to trend downward.
The ACF had previously been placed in "mothball status" as of Feb. 15.
“The Alternate Care Facility was constructed as hospitalizations from COVID-19 were increasing across our state to ensure that our health systems and local governments could continue to provide high-quality care to Wisconsinites,” said DOA Secretary Joel Brennan. “It not only brought relief to our hospitals but also provided quality and compassionate healthcare to Wisconsinites in their time of need.”
170 people received treatment at the ACF between October 2020 and January 1, 2021, the DOA says.
“The ACF was a valuable resource during the fall surge of COVID-19 cases. Knowing this facility was available gave providers and health systems confidence that we had options as our own hospitals and clinics filled up with COVID-19 patients. ACF staff was professional, responsive, and easy to work with,” commented Bartho Caponi, MD, UW Health.
Sanitation on the site is already underway. The DOA says it expects Wisconsin State Fair Park will be back to its normal state by the end of April.
“On behalf of the ACF Leadership team and staff, I am honored to have had the opportunity to partner with hospitals across the state to care for COVID-19 patients,” said ACF CEO Debra Standridge. "And I am proud of the work we did in listening and responding to our health care systems’ rapidly changing needs during the pandemic – from adjusting the ACF’s patient admission criteria to diversifying our service offerings to implementing the BAM Infusion Clinic.”