No time to wait: Commandeering healthcare facilities in the age of COVID-19 Article

El-Sabawi, T, Beletsky, L, Hernandez, C et al. (2020). No time to wait: Commandeering healthcare facilities in the age of COVID-19 . 18(7), 41-43. 10.5055/JEM.2020.0524

cited authors

  • El-Sabawi, T; Beletsky, L; Hernandez, C; Carroll, JJ

abstract

  • In this editorial, we address the urgent need to rapidly expand hospital and ICU capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic and future infectious disease outbreaks. As a remedy to this problem currently plaguing many US municipalities, we discuss states' Emergency Takings Power, an alternative to eminent domain proceedings that allows the immediate commandeering of vacant hospitals without exorbitant costs or the need to litigate fair market price up front. We briefly describe the legal basis for emergency takings power and how states can empower local municipalities to act on that power during public health emergencies.

publication date

  • January 1, 2020

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

start page

  • 41

end page

  • 43

volume

  • 18

issue

  • 7