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GREENSBORO — The newest addition to Moses Cone Hospital took shape in the middle of a parking lot Tuesday afternoon.

Two tents erected in the course of a few hours will form a key part of the hospital’s plan to deal with a serious flu outbreak if one occurs in the months to come.

If an outbreak became bad enough, patients with flu symptoms would be directed first to the tents, where they would be evaluated, treated and, if necessary, admitted to the hospital.

Hospital officials took pains to emphasize the features of the tents, which are heated and cooled and would be filled with medical equipment and emergency room staff.

“It’s not a pup tent that’s out in the woods,” said Kathy Haddix-Hill, the hospital’s executive director of emergency services . “It’s a very nice quality tent.”

The tents highlight one of the ironies of medicine: A place of healing is also an ideal place for the spread of disease.

The idea is to help cut down on the spread of the flu during an outbreak and to take the load off the emergency room.

In fact, had the tents been ready, said Haddix-Hill, the hospital would have opened them a few weeks ago, when the number of flu cases spiked and hundreds of people came in with symptoms daily.

Since then, the number has dropped off, but epidemiologists are wary of what might happen as the traditional flu season gets into full swing.

Relatively few flu patients suffer complications that require them to be admitted, Haddix-Hill said. Some might receive Tamiflu, others might only need simple reassurance.

If the tents are activated, those coming to the hospital would be met outside near the emergency room and directed either to the ER, to urgent care or to the tents.

“It’s almost like a drive-through triage,” Haddix-Hill said.

The tents and related equipment cost about $60,000 , said Joseph Moore, the hospital’s emergency management coordinator .

The set-up went smoothly, apart from having to deal with an unclaimed Hyundai parked in that corner of the lot.

The dozen or so people involved appeared to have read the instruction manual before digging into the complex array of parts to be unfolded, bolted and Velcroed.

Once the tents are taken down, they will be stored for use during future flu outbreaks or as a mobile medical unit in case of emergencies.

Contact Jason Hardin at 373-7021 or at jason.hardin@news-record.com