UPDATE: Preparing for Ebola: Checklists for Hospitals, Healthcare Coalitions, and Emergency Medical Services

Region 7 Partners,
Below is more information from the CDC and MDCH regarding Ebola. Our office
wants to be sure this information makes it to the clinical level so please share
this information widely within your hospitals.
The Region 7 Office will always be a resource for any questions in the healthcare
and preparedness areas. Please feel free to contact us at anytime.

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.

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‐ebolapreparedness.
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‐checklistebola‐
preparedness.pdf

The “Detailed Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Checklist for Ebola Preparedness” is
similar to the above, and is intended to enhance collective preparedness and response
by highlighting key areas for EMS personnel to review in preparation for encountering
and providing medical care to a person with
Ebola. http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/pdf/ems‐checklist‐ebola‐preparedness.pdf

Although the risk of an Ebola outbreak in the United States is very low, it is important
for healthcare providers, facilities, and coalitions to remain vigilant and take steps to be
as prepared as possible to protect our communities and our nation from emerging
infectious diseases such as EVD. CDC has numerous published resources and references
to help you prepare and guidance posted on these resources may change as experts
learn more about EVD. You should frequently monitor the CDC’s Ebola website for upto‐
date information.