UCSF Medical Centers needed to organize the distribution of vital PPE and create a 53-bed hospital isolation ward for respiratory cases—tasks that could take months. Deloitte came together with the university to help accomplish them in days and weeks.

Faced with the challenges of COVID-19, the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Centers needed help to set up a warehouse for medical supply distribution to its medical centers and others across the UC system and to activate 53 hospital beds to create an inpatient space for respiratory cases needing hospital isolation—a task that could take months—but there weren’t months to spare.

On March 27, Deloitte began helping refurbish a warehouse to receive, store, and distribute more personal protective equipment (PPE). Work on the 36,000-square-foot facility was done by April 2. Within the first month of operation, the warehouse received 15 million units of PPE and was able to deliver supplies consistently within a three-hour window. In the same month, shipments inside and outside of the UCSF hospital network exceeded 5 million units—a record for UCSF.

Deloitte worked with 20+ UCSF departments to create workflows that incorporate new PPE and patient safety guidelines for the inpatient unit. The space began accepting patients in late April. Deloitte collaborated with UCSF to provide program management, enabling the opening of beds in 43 days.

Within the first month of operation, the warehouse received 15 million units of PPE and was able to deliver supplies consistently within a three-hour window.

The complexities of controlling COVID-19 in a state as large and diverse as California are immense. The Deloitte team worked with UCSF staff and leadership to help them prepare for fast-changing scenarios and demands on their hospital system so they can continue to meet their mission: “Caring, Healing, Teaching and Discovering.”