HCIDs: An International Flight Away

International Health
Written By Lori Wallman
Microscopic View of Infectious Ebola Virus Cells stock photo

While the overall risk of Ebola spreading to the United States is currently low, the global threat of high-consequence infectious diseases (HCIDs) requires ongoing vigilance and preparedness. Monitoring HCIDs globally is critical in preventing widespread mortality and economic disruption, as well as protecting domestic and global security. As a result, hospitals and their public health partners throughout the United States are working together to protect their staff and communities from these diseases and investing in readiness measures to reinforce national health security.

The current Ebola outbreak, which is mainly in remote areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is driven by the fast-spreading Bundibugyo virus. While no Ebola cases from this outbreak have been reported in the U.S. to date, the outbreak is of concern as it is now the second largest Ebola outbreak in history.¹ Fortunately, global health networks are far better equipped to respond today due to lessons learned from the devastating 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak. Lack of early detection, community mistrust, and healthcare system overload during that outbreak prompted a paradigm shift toward collaborative surveillance, rapid diagnostic testing, and accelerated vaccine and therapy research on a global scale.

Patients were treated in U.S. hospitals during the 2014-2016 outbreak, which claimed the lives of 11,000 West Africans. This triggered the creation of the National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center (NETEC) and the development of the National Special Pathogen System (NSPS), a structured, tiered hospital preparedness framework to bolster the response to HCIDs. Designed similarly to the national trauma system, the NSPS functions to utilize specialized resources during an outbreak and relies on collaboration between healthcare systems and their partners like EMS and public health. In addition, NETEC functions in an operational capacity for the system through the provision of education, training, and assessments regarding HCIDs that better prepare hospitals and staff for these diseases “before the headlines arrive”.²

Wakefield Brunswick is actively assisting hospitals in preparing for the safe receipt and management of patients with HCIDs, including Ebola, through facilitation of highly specialized exercises tailored for facilities within the NSPS framework.

Facilities within this framework are recognized with Special Pathogen Treatment and Network Development (STAND) awards, which are funded by the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR). The awards are granted to facilities that wish to better prepare their healthcare system and improve regional readiness for HCIDs through ASPR’s requirements that include sustained investment in training, equipment, and exercises for special pathogen response.³ STAND award recipients are critical for both the provision of specialized care as well as playing a key piece of increasing national surge capacity for HCID patients.

Wakefield Brunswick’s tailored Special Pathogens Tabletop Exercise includes evaluation of operational workflows, staff and facility resource allocation, and communication pathways within the healthcare system. Furthermore, the exercise examines the collaboration and communication with local, state, and federal preparedness partners, such as public health, EMS, and laboratory networks. With decades of collective experience in hospital and infectious disease preparedness, the Wakefield Brunswick team can seamlessly guide NSPS facilities in this exercise as they prepare for the response to and recovery from global health threats, such as HCIDs, and the lessons learned are shared among participants in the formal After-Action Report provided by the expert team at Wakefield Brunswick.


Infectious diseases like Ebola are only an international flight away.  

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References:

1. CDC. Ebola outbreak: Current situation [Internet]. Ebola. 2026 [cited 2026 Oct 15]. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/ebola/situation-summary/index.html

2. Stone L. Why hospitals must invest in special pathogen readiness now [Internet]. NETEC. 2025 [cited 2026 Oct 15]. Available from: https://netec.org/2025/10/27/why-hospitals-must-invest-in-special-pathogen-readiness-now/

3. ASPR. ASPR and NETEC announce second round of NSPS level 2 STAND awardees to strengthen special pathogen preparedness nationwide [Internet]. ASPR.gov. 2026 [cited 2026 Oct 15]. Available from: https://www.aspr.gov/news-updates/newsroom/2026-09/STAND-award

Lori Wallman

Lori Wallman, MPH, has worked in public health and healthcare emergency preparedness for over two decades in various roles. She began her career in vaccine research at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics. Upon receiving her master’s degree, she started working in public health emergency preparedness in the Wisconsin Hospital Emergency Preparedness Program. After 12 years with the program, Wallman moved on to independent consulting in public health and healthcare preparedness. Client projects have ranged from hospital exercises and emergency planning to public health education and curriculum development.

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