On September 30, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed, through laboratory tests, the first case of Ebola to be diagnosed in the United States in a person who had traveled to Dallas, TX from Liberia. CDC and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response have been anticipating and preparing for a case of Ebola in the United States. CDC and ASPR aim to increase understanding of the Ebola virus disease (EVD) and encourage widespread preparation for managing patients with EVD and other infectious diseases. At the request of Dr. Nicole Lurie, the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, we are sending you the attached links to guidance that you may find useful and request that you share this information as widely as possible.
To follow the most recent information on the Ebola situation visist, CDC's Ebola page at http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/
The “Detailed Hospital Checklist for Ebola Preparedness” is intended to enhance our collective preparedness and response efforts by highlighting is intended to enhance our collective preparedness and response efforts by highlighting key areas for hospital staff -- especially hospital emergency management officers, infection control practitioners, and clinical practitioners -- to review in preparation for a person with EVD arriving at a hospital for medical care. The checklist provides practical and specific suggestions to ensure your hospital is able to detect possible EVD cases, protect your employees, and respond appropriately.
http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/pdf/hospital-checklisk-ebola-preparedness.pdf
The “Checklist for Healthcare Coalitions for Ebola Preparedness” is intended to enhance collective preparedness and response by highlighting key areas for healthcare coalitions to review in preparing to care for patients possibly infected with the Ebola virus. The checklist provides practical and specific suggestions to ensure healthcare coalition members are able to detect possible Ebola cases, protect employees, and respond appropriately.
http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/pdf/coalition-checklist-ebola-preparedness.pdf