Qualified and Prepared
In July 2014, representative from the U.S. State Department visited Nebraska Medicine to take a closer look at the capabilities of our 10-bed Biocontainment Unit. In early September 2014, we successfully treated our first patient, Rick Sacra, MD. Dr. Sacra contracted the virus while treating patients in West Africa. He was discharged from our Biocontainment Unit in late September 2014.
We received our second patient, Ashoka Mukpo, in early October 2014. Mr. Mukpo was declared Ebola-free and discharged later that month. The following month, a third patient arrived in the Biocontainment Unit. Martin Salia, MD, was exposed to Ebola during his service treating patients in West Africa. Tragically, his disease was very advanced by the time he was flown back to the United States. Dr. Salia died a short time later. A plaque honoring his service and sacrifice hangs on the wall of the Biocontainment Unit.
The unit has been operational since 2005 and is one of 10 such units in the country equipped to handle an outbreak of this nature. Our physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists and staff are specially trained and participate in regular drills on the specific protocols and procedures to care for this type of patient. "The Ebola virus is very difficult to contract," says Phil Smith, MD, founding medical director of the unit. "The risk it would pose to people outside the unit would be zero, and this is something that can be very safely treated without infecting health care workers."
Resources for Clinicians
- iTunes University app for iPhone & iPad (for clinicians)
- Moodle Learning Management System for PC and other mobile devices (for clinicians)
Webinars
- What to do in the emergency department with a possible Ebola patient
- Considerations for infection control
- Transporting patients with Ebola
- Testing and transport of laboratory samples
- Clinical care of an Ebola patient
- Managing Ebola virus contaminated medical waste
Ebola Resources & Protocols
Download free Ebola patient care donning and doffing PPE handouts:
- ISOPOD basics: IRT model
- Ebola best practices
- Biocontainment Unit staff selection
- An integrated approach to laboratory testing for patients with Ebola virus disease
- Care for the deceased after Ebola PDF handout
Ebola Videos
- Video - Care for the Deceased after Ebola
- Videos - Biological Preparedness and Response
- Questions & Answers About Ebola - Nurses - Nebraska Medicine
- Questions & Answers About Ebola - Doctors - Nebraska Medicine
Internal Communication & Media Relations
Additional Resources
- Nebraska Biocontainment Patient Care Unit Brochure
- Activation Checklist
- Body Fluid Spill Cleanup in the NBU with sharps consideration
- Containment wrap
- Doffing High Level PPE
- Doffing PPE with PAPRS
- Doffing PPE with PAPR attachment A
- Donning PPE with PAPR
- Donning High Level PPE
- Donning High Level PPE-attachment
- Isopod Cleaning and Storage
- Isopod Set Up
- NBU Laundry Protocol
- NBU Waste Process
- Obtaining and Processing Laboratory Specimens