What is Fairview Developmental Center (FDC)?

Fairview Developmental Center (FDC) is a state-owned and operated facility that provides lifelong services and support to individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. Over the past several years, the majority of residents of FDC have been transferred to facilities throughout the state.

What type of facility is FDC going to be?

California state agencies, federal partners and private contractors, in coordination with state emergency operations authorities, have established a temporary and regional Alternate Care Site (ACS) facility at the Fairview Developmental Center, referenced as the Fairview Alternate Care Site (FACS), in order to provide local hospitals and skilled nursing facilities with care options and improve regional capacity in support of California’s COVID-19 response.

During the earliest stages of the international COVID-19 crisis, FDC was considered for different types of uses.  Ultimately, the state of California, working with federal agencies and other partners, identified that FDC would be utilized as a regional ACS resource for hospitals and congregate living facilities such as skilled nursing facilities (SNF), assisted living or residential care congregate living sites, with its primary operations designed to protect our most vulnerable population and provide the appropriate level of care to low acuity patients.

The COVID-19 virus disproportionately impacts the elderly, with mortality increasing with age. Those over the age of 80 with chronic disease have the highest mortality. Given the recent spread of COVID-19 among congregate living sites such as assisted living and skilled nursing facilities, there is an emerging need for alternate care sites to accommodate COVID-19 positive residents.

Moreover, the Fairview Regional ACS is a nontraditional care site that provides care for low-acuity, ambulatory and/or semi-ambulatory patients when hospitals are at or past capacity, and may also include: – – patients with no safe place to stay or quarantine – patients requiring low-acuity clinical care, but do not require ER or 911 level care – patients requiring extended observation due to high-risk, co-morbidities (i.e., multiple medical issues), inadequate home support and/or barriers that do not warrant returning to the ER or calling 911.

Are there any patients at Fairview Developmental Center now?

As of Friday, April 24, there were no patients currently being treated at the FACS, but the facility does anticipate to receive its first patients within the next week. As an additional point of reference, the current hospital bed capacity in Orange County has remained in the low 50% capacity range from April 1 through April 24, 2020.

What type of patients will now be treated at FDC?

According to our partners at the Orange County Health Care Agency, FACS is going to be utilized for low-acuity patients who are recovering from COVID-19. Indications for transfer to FDC include:

• Patients with no safe place to stay or quarantine.
• Patients requiring low-acuity care and without memory care related issues.
• Patients requiring extended observation due to high-risk comorbidity conditions, inadequate in-home support and/or barriers that do not require returning to the ER or calling 911.

Who is staffing the Fairview Alternate Care Site (FACS)?

Over the course of the past week, FACS has become staffed with approximately 70 highly-trained medical personnel from the USNS Mercy, Cal EMSA (Emergency Medical Services Authority) and CAL MAT (Medical Assistance Teams) teams. Staffing includes physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, personal care attendants, respiratory therapists, behavioral health workers, pharmacists, supportive medical care providers (CNAs, EMT’s, Navy Corpsman, MA’s), and social workers. Equipment includes basic laboratory testing and X-ray capabilities, limited ability to provide IV fluids and low-flow oxygen, personal protective equipment, and limited nebulizer treatments and suctioning.

Who will be treated at the state’s FACS?

From the onset of our most recent statewide and regional pandemic planning efforts, the anticipated patients that were identified by the state included a potential range from the lowest acuity level for hospital surge overflow up to and potentially including a worst-case scenario, with hospital bed capacities being overwhelmed and creating treatment space for an explosion of COVID-19 patients.  Where we have currently landed is that FACS now anticipates to receive lower acuity recovering COVID-19 positive patients, including our most vulnerable population.

If I or a family member gets sick, should we go to FDC for treatment?

No; the FACS does NOT have an emergency room and is not an open medical receiving center.   FACS will only be receiving patients coordinated through their regional inter-facility transferring and receiving protocols.  Please visit your family practitioner, urgent care or emergency room, or if deemed a life-threatening injury or illness, call 911.

How will state and county officials ensure the neighboring communities are going to be safe?

The Fairview ACS is now very well-organized and managed, with a wide range of safety protocols in place, including full wrap around medical health services (including patient transfer, receiving, and discharge). Additionally, security is in place for the transferred patients, under the direction and oversight of the state of California.  All access to and on the state’s Fairview Developmental Center property is monitored and controlled by State Police and their privately contracted partners, 24 hours a day. Safe handling and transportation policies and procedures have also been implemented to protect not only the patients, but the public’s health and well-being.

Because this is a state-owned property and state-operated facility, all administrative, management, governance and oversight responsibilities and obligations reside with state officials.  That said, Costa Mesa city leaders, public safety officials, and city staff have continued to be the strongest of advocates throughout the dynamic and constantly evolving process to establish the FACS and to ensure that the community’s safety remained the highest priority every step of the way; while also thoughtfully sharing in the compassionate role of helping our state and our entire region navigate the international COVID-19 crisis.

If we have more questions or concerns who can we contact?

For more information regarding the Fairview Alternate Care Site (FACS), you can contact the Regional Medical Alert Center at (866) 940-4401 or the Fairview Alternate Care Site (FACS) at (714) 957-5000.