Phila. hospitals prepare for Eagles parade, too

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia hospitals are also preparing for the millions of people expected in the city to celebrate the Super Bowl 52 champion Eagles.

All the hospitals in or near the parade zone will have full staffs on duty.

Hahnemann University Hospital is also activating its incident command center, to respond to any unexpected events during the celebration.

Because of the expected crowds, street closures, and changes in mass transit, Hahnemann is also offering essential staffers sleeping space for tonight and tomorrow night.

It also recommended that outpatient procedures for tomorrow be rescheduled.

Jefferson University Hospital is also in the midst of the parade.

It is making extra use of its JeffConnect telemedicine system, which allows patients to have a video visit with a physician.

While JeffConnect is usually used for emergency medicine, Jefferson has converted many of tomorrow's appointments with its Center City doctors to telemedicine appointments.

The virtual visit program was launched just before the 2015 visit of Pope Francis, and has been an important tool several times since then.

Penn Medicine says its city hospitals - Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Hospital, and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center - will be fully staffed tomorrow.

And because travel may be slow and complicated, the system said in a statement, "We have offered those with Thursday outpatient appointments the opportunity to reschedule at their convenience."