U.S. General Services Administration
GSA Works Around the Clock to Secure Lease for Army Field Hospital at Century Link Field
Nearly all Northwest/Arctic Region staff think of CenturyLink Field as being the home to the Seattle Seahawks and the accompanying event center home to boat shows, concerts, and food events.
But one recent Friday afternoon, Region 10 leasing staff got word that FEMA may need the event space for a temporary Army field hospital to care for non-COVID-19 patients. Just a few hours later, that same staff was working non-stop to ensure this hospital became a reality.
The Region 10 team comprised of Ryan Schneider, Margaret Shoop-Hollins, Buddy Davis, Marcy Pallota, Ann Crawley, Lindsey Snow, Kandi Petorak, and John Fitzgibbons worked around the clock for the next 48 hours to develop a lease with the managers of the facility, First & Goal Inc., to secure it for the badly needed medical care space.
The GSA team managed communication with the other federal partners including FEMA and the 627th Army Hospital leadership from Fort Carson, Colorado, who would be deployed to the field hospital.
The staff developed the contracts, which had some unique clauses, according to Lindsey Snow Lease Acquisition Branch Chief, negotiated the lease, and got it completed within 48 hours of being tasked.
“Everyone had to agree to make this happen and each party really came to the table to ensure we got this done in time,” Snow said. “Each side knew the importance of this.”
Snow added the willingness to be agreeable and still manage each group’s interests was a welcome sight during a time of great need.
In the end, the combined efforts across several departments from GSA, helped lead to the stand-up of the field hospital. Once the lease was complete Army officials began setting up the facility to be a hospital including a lab, diagnostic equipment, surgical facilities and an intensive care area.
“This is such a critical need for our region to relieve some of the pressure our hospitals are facing with patient care,” said Northwest/Arctic Region Regional Administrator Roy Atwood. “To see the GSA staff step up and deliver on this to help get the hospital operational is truly inspiring.”
FEMA officials anticipate the hospital could see its first patients the first week of April.
“It is significant to work on an action like this that will have such a meaningful impact on our community and hopefully result in lives being saved,” added Snow.