The St. Joseph Campus for Sisters of Charity Hospital is being converted to care for coronavirus patients, which would make it the first hospital in New York State dedicated to treating the coronavirus, said Mark Sullivan, president and CEO of Catholic Health.

The Cheektowaga facility is expected to be available for patients soon, Sullivan said Thursday.

The St. Joseph Campus will handle 20% of patients expected to need hospitalization and the 5% who will need intensive care, Sullivan said.

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said he has been in conversations with others about using the former Women & Children's Hospital and the Buffalo Grand Hotel, formerly the Adam's Mark Buffalo, for other Covid-19 hospitals.

Sullivan said of the St. Joseph Campus: "We are doing this for multiple reasons – one, its location; two, it's flexibility; and three, the ability to act expeditiously and get the site up and running."

"This can happen quickly and effectively," he said.

The facility will have 55 to 60 critical care beds and 100 to 120 beds in all for Covid-19 patients.