US: 35 hospitals designated as Ebola treatment centers

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The U.S is bracing to deal with Ebola. An increasing number of U.S. hospitals are now equipped to treat patients with Ebola, giving nationwide health system Ebola readiness efforts a boost. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), state health officials have identified and designated 35 hospitals with Ebola treatment centers, with more expected in the coming weeks.

According to Government Security News, hospitals with Ebola treatment centers have been designated by state health officials to serve as treatment facilities for Ebola patients based on a collaborative decision with local health authorities and the hospital administration.

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Ebola treatment centers are staffed, equipped, and have been assessed to have current capabilities, training, and resources to provide the complex treatment necessary to care for a person with Ebola while minimizing risk to health care workers.

More than 80 percent of returning travelers from Ebola-stricken countries live within 200 miles of an Ebola treatment center. During their active monitoring, state or local public health authorities communicate every day with potentially exposed individuals to check for symptoms and fever for the 21-day incubation period of the Ebola virus.

Each hospital with an Ebola treatment center has been assessed on-site by a CDC Rapid Ebola Preparedness (REP) team. The CDC REP team is staffed with experts in all aspects of caring for a patient with Ebola, including staff training, infection control, personal protective equipment use, and details such as handling and management of the trash from the patient’s room. As of December 1st, CDC has conducted REP team assessments in over 50 hospitals in 15 states and Washington, D.C.