The Pennsylvania Department of Health has notified Penn State Hershey Medical Center that it has been named an Ebola Treatment Center by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
This designation recognizes that Penn State Hershey is one of only four hospitals in Pennsylvania that is prepared to provide comprehensive care to patients with a suspected or confirmed Ebola diagnosis. State and federal officials visited Penn State Hershey last month to assess the staff, equipment, training, laboratory and waste management procedures before recognizing the hospital with this distinction. As one of six academic medical centers in Pennsylvania, Penn State Hershey has a responsibility to take a leadership role in the care of those who live in central Pennsylvania.
Over the past few months, staff from across the organization have worked to ensure that all levels of staff are prepared to care for an individual with Ebola while minimizing risk to the workforce and patients. Staff from more than 30 departments have been involved in investigating, developing, executing and evaluating our detailed response plan, which continues to evolve as new information and resources become available.
All of the nurses, physicians and other health care providers who would care for a potential Ebola patient have volunteered for this assignment, and have trained extensively to perform all levels of care including lab tests, X-rays and restorative therapies. Everyone is focused on one goal, which is to deliver the highest quality care for the patient while minimizing risk to others.
Although no new cases of Ebola have been reported in the United States since late October, the disease is still widespread in regions of West Africa. Though improbable, it is not impossible that a case of Ebola could impact the region. Penn State Hershey will continue to train staff, conduct exercises and refine its planning to ensure that Penn State Hershey is ready to respond if needed.
More information is available on the Ebola FAQ page at http://www.pennstatehershey.org/web/infectiousdiseases/ebola-qa.