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Preparing the Health System to Respond to Ebola Virus Disease in New York City, 2014

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 November 2016

Jay K. Varma
Affiliation:
New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, New York Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
David J. Prezant
Affiliation:
Fire Department of New York, New York, New York
Ross Wilson
Affiliation:
NYC Health+Hospitals, New York, New York.
Celia Quinn*
Affiliation:
New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, New York Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
Glenn Asaeda
Affiliation:
Fire Department of New York, New York, New York
Nicholas V. Cagliuso Sr
Affiliation:
NYC Health+Hospitals, New York, New York.
Jennifer L. Rakeman
Affiliation:
New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, New York
Marisa Raphael
Affiliation:
New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, New York
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to Celia Quinn, MD, Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 42-09 28th Street, Queens, NY 11101 (e-mail: [email protected]).

Abstract

The world’s largest outbreak of Ebola virus disease began in West Africa in 2014. Although few cases were identified in the United States, the possibility of imported cases led US public health systems and health care facilities to focus on preparing the health care system to quickly and safely identify and respond to emerging infectious diseases. In New York City, early, coordinated planning among city and state agencies and the health care delivery system led to a successful response to a single case diagnosed in a returned health care worker. In this article we describe public health and health care system preparedness efforts in New York City to respond to Ebola and conclude that coordinated public health emergency response relies on joint planning and sustained resources for public health emergency response, epidemiology and laboratory capacity, and health care emergency management. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:370–374).

Type
Concepts in Disaster Medicine
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2016 

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