The Centers for Disease Control has designated Cuyahoga County's MetroHealth Hospital as an Ebola treatment center.
It is the only Ohio hospital with that designation and is prepared to receive patients, if needed. Sara Jane Tribble of member station WCPN in Cleveland reports.
State and federal officials visited MetroHealth in October last year - just as Northeast Ohio began to cope with the news that confirmed Ebola patient Amber Vinson had visited the region.
The officials assessed MetroHealth. They looked at its staff, equipment, facilities, waste management, laboratory and training procedures.
MetroHealth’s Dr. Jennifer Hanrahan says the hospital volunteered for the role.
CUT: “There’s constantly new infections coming up, it’s not just Ebola. And being prepared for this helps to prepare us for other infections. That’s the bottom line, being prepared is a good thing.”
MetroHealth joined with the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals to form a regional coalition for an Ebola response.
The Clinic and UH are able to assess patients but, if someone is diagnosed with Ebola, they will be sent to MetroHealth for treatment.