Five local healthcare facilities in western Minnesota are partnering to turn a vacant prison in Appleton, Minn., into the Tri-County COVID Medical Center, according to the West Central Tribune. The facility is slated to open on March 30.

“For us, especially out here in rural (Minnesota), we have a higher-than-normal elderly population and it was definitely a large priority for us to make sure that we’re able to provide the care that our patients are going to need in case of a surge,” said Lori Andreas, CEO of Appleton Area Health in Appleton, Minn., one of the providers involved in the project, according to the article.

The other providers are CCM Health in Montevideo, Minn.; Johnson Memorial Health Services in Dawson, Minn.; Madison Healthcare Services in Madison, Minn.; and Swift County-Benson Health Services in Benson, Minn.

The former Prairie Correctional Facility is owned by CoreCivic.