Statement by HHC Regarding Bellevue as Designated Center To Care for Ebola Patients for HHC System
Oct 15, 2014
Bellevue Hospital Center will receive any confirmed patients in the NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) system of 11 public hospitals. It also stands available to receive transfers from other New York City hospitals, if needed, after consultation with New York City DOHMH. It also would receive cases from NYC airports.
Bellevue has nine isolation units in its ED where patients can be isolated if they are suspected of having Ebola. It has prepared four single-bed rooms in its infectious disease ward to receive high-probability or confirmed Ebola cases. Additional rooms can be made available if necessary.
Bellevue is also creating a new and separate laboratory to handle possible Ebola blood samples.
Every HHC hospital is able to identify potential Ebola patients and isolate them in the emergency department if necessary. If there is a confirmed case the patient will be transferred to Bellevue in consultation with NYC DOHMH for treatment.
The hospital is particularly well suited due to its long history of being on the front lines of epidemics and emerging public health threats and managing an isolation unit for airborne diseases, such as TB, for many years with support from and collaboration with the City Health Department.
For more information, visit the NYC Department of Health website and the CDC website.
Contact: Press Office, pressoffice@nychhc.org
Ian Michaels, 212-788-3339, ian.michaels@nychhc.org