CHOP, HUP chosen to treat Ebola patients
The hospitals are two of 35 facilities chosen by federal authorities for its new program.
TWO CITY HOSPITALS have been tapped to help treat Ebola patients who land on American soil.
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania are two of 35 hospitals throughout the country chosen to house Ebola treatment centers, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced yesterday.
CHOP and HUP were selected by a panel of local, state and federal officials for inclusion in the program, which bolsters the three national treatment facilities at Emory University Hospital, Nebraska Medical Center and the National Institutes of Health, according to the CDC.
"We were among the first in the nation to offer our special expertise in this global crisis, and we welcome the . . . confidence in our abilities," said Susan Phillips, Penn Medicine's senior vice president for public affairs.
Phillips said that the Ebola-treatment facility at HUP is isolated from the rest of the hospital, and that its operation would not affect the other patients.
Madeline Bell, CHOP's president and chief operating officer, made the same promise.
"We want all of our patient families to know that, if called upon, we are prepared to care for a child with Ebola in a safe and secure environment while continuing our treatment of all children entrusted to our care," she said.