So how are small hospitals preparing in the event of an out breakout of coronavirus? One in north Georgia is prepping for its first case.

Fannin and neighboring Gilmer County still have no reported cases of coronavirus. But besides an emergency room in Gilmer, Fannin Regional Hospital is the only full-service hospital to serve residents in both counties.

Dr. Dillon Miller, Chief Medical Officer and Chief of Staff at the 70-bed facility, says multiple meetings are held daily with all the hospital’s departments to make sure they are up to date on every protocol or possible situation.

“We’ve limited the access points where people can come into the hospital so we can have the capacity to evaluate those coming in and out,” he tells WSB’s Sandra Parrish.

Once in, Miller says those with symptoms are segregated not only in the emergency room, but also inside the hospital once admitted.

“Certain areas of the hospital will be designated for patients that potentially have the COVID-19,” he says.

As for the small number of bed space compared to larger hospitals, he says that shouldn’t be an issue.

“It’s going to be less about spacing, because we have a lot of different places we can utilize, and more about more about those who become critically ill,” says Miller.

That’s because there are only so many respirators at the hospital. If it becomes overwhelmed with critically ill patients, they will have to be transferred to other larger facilities with whom the hospital already has partnerships.

“We’ve already reached out to those partner hospitals and they have scenarios and situations where they’ll be able to take on some of those patients as well,” says Miller.

He says the best preparation the hospital can have is urging people to stay home and not risk potential exposure, and if they do develop symptoms to call ahead first.

“By calling ahead, it keeps them at home where they need to be and at the same time it gives us a chance to adapt and adjust our people that are here so we protect our healthcare workers and protect our patients we’re seeing,” he says.