HHC Bellevue Hospital Center Named Co-Leader of New National Ebola Training and Education Center
Jul 07, 2015
Dr. Ram Raju, President of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC), announced today that Bellevue Hospital Center has been named by the US Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) as one of three medical research institutions to co-lead a new National Ebola Training and Education Center.
HHC Bellevue joins Emory University in Atlanta and Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha in an effort to ensure that health care providers throughout the country are prepared to safely identify, isolate, transport and treat patients with Ebola and other potential emerging threats. The new National Ebola Training and Education Center will offer state health departments and health care facilities additional access to the clinical expertise and training capabilities offered by these institutions.
“The New York City public hospital system has proven to be at the forefront of the most advanced medical treatment, research and planning for Ebola and other infectious pathogens,” said Dr. Raju. “Education is completely consistent with our mission as a public health care provider and we look forward to joining our prestigious partners in Atlanta and Omaha to advance Ebola training and preparedness nationally. This designation acknowledges the remarkable performance of HHC and Bellevue in addressing public health crises.”
HHC Bellevue successfully treated New York City Ebola patient Dr. Craig Spencer during the height of last year’s Ebola concerns, and has isolated and investigated more than 20 suspected cases. HHC Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Ross Wilson, notes the hospital was later named by HHS as one of 55 designated Ebola treatment centers nationally, and in June was named one of just nine national referral treatment centers for patients with Ebola or other severe, highly infectious diseases.
“The National Ebola Training and Education Center contributes to our nation’s health security by developing and teaching evidence-based practices of experienced providers and health care institutions in caring for patients with Ebola and other serious infectious diseases,” said Dr. Nicole Lurie, HHS Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response. “While this training starts with Ebola, it also will help the health care community deal with other serious infectious diseases in the future.”
For more information on the National Ebola Training and Education Center see the HHS website here.
Contact: Press Office,(212) 788-3339 Ian Michaels,(212) 788-3339
About NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue
Bellevue is a member of the NYC Health + Hospitals health care system and is America’s oldest hospital, established in 1736. Affiliated with the NYU School of Medicine, Bellevue is a major referral center for highly complex cases. The 844-bed hospital has 6,000 employees including highly skilled, interdisciplinary clinical staff. It sees more than 110,000 emergency room visits and 500,000 outpatient visits annually. Clinical centers of excellence include: Emergency Medicine and Trauma Care; Cardiovascular Services; Designated Regional Perinatal Center and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (ICU); Comprehensive Children’s Psychiatric Emergency Program; and Cancer Services. For more information, visit nychealthandhospitals.org/bellevue or find us on twitter.com/BellevueHosp.
About NYC Health + Hospitals
The NYC Health + Hospitals health care system is a $6.7 billion integrated healthcare delivery system, the largest municipal healthcare organization in the country, and one of the New York area’s largest providers of government-sponsored health insurance, MetroPlusHealth Health Plan, the plan of choice for nearly half a million New Yorkers. The NYC Health + Hospitals health care system serves 1.4 million New Yorkers every year and more than 475,000 are uninsured. The system provides medical, mental health and substance abuse services through its 11 acute care hospitals, five skilled nursing facilities, six large diagnostic and treatment centers and more than 70 community based clinics. NYC Health + Hospitals/Home Care also provides in-home services for New Yorkers. The NYC Health + Hospitals system was the 2008 recipient of the National Quality Forum and The Joint Commission’s John M. Eisenberg Award for Innovation in Patient Safety and Quality. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org or find us on https://www.facebook.com/NYCHealthSystem or twitter.com/NYCHealthSystem.