Treating and Caring For Ebola Patients in Maryland

Below is a message from Carmela Coyle, President of the Maryland Hospital Association, regarding the latest on the care of patients in Maryland who may have been exposed to the Ebola virus.  On behalf of the Western Maryland Health System, I want to offer my most sincere thanks to Governor O'Malley and Secretary Sharfstein on rapidly establishing a treatment strategy.  Patients will be initially evaluated and cared for in whichever hospital that they present until they can be transferred to one of three designated hospitals in Maryland / DC.  The first preference of treatment will be a one of four federal facilities, but if they are not available, Johns Hopkins, University of Maryland and Med Star Washington Hospital Center are the newly designated centers.  

Hospitals across the State continue to prepare, train, educate and drill should a patient with symptoms for Ebola present at an Emergency Department, but the designated center concept is a good one.  With these three hospitals, a greater focus can occur with equipment allocation, training and CDC support rather than trying to provide the preceding to 40 other acute care hospitals throughout Maryland.  Leadership acted quickly and correctly.

MHA Update, Friday, October 24, 2014