Illinois Congressional Delegation Backs Chicago Medical Network as Regional Treatment Center for Ebola Virus
HHS Designation would allow Chicago Ebola Response Network to maintain important screening, diagnosis, treatment and prevention capabilities
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – The entire Illinois Congressional Delegation urged the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to designate the Chicago Ebola Response Network (CERN) – a network of high-quality volunteer healthcare leaders, practitioners and first responders – as a regional treatment center for the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) to enable them to better support the national response to Ebola and access resources for emergency preparedness and biocontamination.
“Throughout the Ebola virus outbreak, CERN demonstrated its unique capacity to meet the demands of an EVD treatment facility, and it has pledged to treat any future patients, including foreign and domestic travelers. Ebola was not the first virus to come through Chicago, and it will not be the last,” wrote the Illinois members. “Given its centrality and unique population base, it is imperative that Chicago maintain capabilities to screen, diagnose, treat, and prevent these conditions and participate in real-time with other centers in the national network. Our providers believe that this designation will enable them to do just that.”
The CERN network providers include the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Rush University Medical Center, and the University of Chicago Medical Center.
Members signing on to today’s letter include U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) and U.S. Representatives Mike Bost (R-IL), Cheri Bustos (D-IL), Danny Davis (D-IL), Rodney Davis (R-IL), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Bill Foster (D-IL), Luis Gutiérrez (D-IL), Randy Hultgren (R-IL), Robin Kelly (D-IL), Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), Dan Lipinski (D-IL), Mike Quigley (D-IL), Peter Roskam (R-IL), Bobby Rush (D-IL), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Bob Dold (R-IL), Darin LaHood (R-IL) and John Shimkus (R-IL).
Text of the letter is attached.
October 30, 2015
The Honorable Sylvia Mathews Burwell
Secretary of Health and Human Services
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Ave, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201
Dear Secretary Burwell:
Last year, we faced an unprecedented outbreak of the Ebola virus, and the entire world stretched its resources to respond. When Chicago O’Hare International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the world, was identified as a port-of-entry for travelers from West Africa in October 2014, we were proud to see four of Chicago’s academic medical centers join forces to form the Chicago Ebola Response Network (CERN). As we anticipate the needs of future outbreaks, we urge you to recognize the unique capabilities of the CERN network and designate it as a regional treatment center for the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).
Rather than compete against each other, these hospitals leveraged the network structure to develop a robust, comprehensive response to the Ebola virus, protecting the city while providing high-quality care.
CERN is a network of high-quality volunteer health-care leaders, practitioners, and first responders, located at the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Rush University Medical Center, and the University of Chicago Medical Center. The network applied to be the Health and Human Services (HHS) Region Five designated EVD treatment center but received neither the designation nor associated funding.
The leaders of CERN and the Chicago Department of Public Health are asking that CERN be named and recognized as a designated regional EVD Treatment Center, since it will enable them to better support the national response to EVD and access resources for emergency preparedness and biocontamination. CERN is not seeking additional government resources at this time.
Throughout the Ebola virus outbreak, CERN demonstrated its unique capacity to meet the demands of an EVD treatment facility, and it has pledged to treat any future patients, including foreign and domestic travelers. Ebola was not the first virus to come through Chicago, and it will not be the last. In April of last year, an individual suffering from MERS, one of the most dangerous and communicable infectious diseases in the world, passed through O’Hare.
Given its centrality and unique population base, it is imperative that Chicago maintain capabilities to screen, diagnose, treat, and prevent these conditions and participate in real-time with other centers in the national network. Our providers believe that this designation will enable them to do just that.
CERN, with its network-based structure, is emblematic of the innovative public health model your agency fosters nationwide. We urge you to continue to develop this collaborative approach and designate CERN as a regional treatment center for the Ebola Disease Virus.
Thank you for your consideration.
Previous Article Next Article