The Impact of High-Level Isolation Units Beyond High-Consequence Pathogen Preparedness

In response to the 2014 Ebola outbreak, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) funded the creation of 10 Regional Ebola and Other Special Pathogen Treatment Centers (RESPTCs) across the United States. These high-level isolation units are designed to provide care for patients infected with high-consequence pathogens, such as viral hemorrhagic fevers, in an environment that is safe for patients, staff, the hospital, and surrounding communities. This commentary describes the impact on infection prevention and preparedness that the Johns Hopkins biocontainment unit has on the hospital and health system beyond the unit itself. Training, research projects, and collaborative partnerships conducted by a high-level isolation unit team while the unit is not activated for patient care can enhance infection prevention, multidisciplinary training and innovation, personal protective equipment design and testing, clinical skills, and infection prevention beyond the isolation setting.