YNHHS News Releases

Released April 22, 2002

DPH Announces Connecticut Centers of Excellence for Bioterrorism and Response

The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) today announces plans to establish hospital-based Centers of Excellence for Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response.

The Centers of Excellence are tertiary and quaternary hospitals that will take a leadership role in serving as centers to plan for the regional coordination, education, clinical care and research to improve Connecticut's ability to respond to a large-scale bioterrorism event. The Department of Public Health has submitted a grant application to the Health Resources and Services Administration of the federal Department of Health and Human Services to support the establishment of centers of excellence at Hartford Hospital and Yale New Haven Health System.

“In the wake of September 11, the need for preparedness and response to the threat of weapons of mass destruction, including bioterrorism, has become acute,” stated Dr. Joxel Garcia, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health. “The health care delivery system has demonstrated its current capability in responding to these threats and acts. While we have been able to respond in the short run to the most critical needs generated by the recent attacks on our nation, we need to become even more prepared. Regional centers of excellence, working in conjunction with the state’s other hospitals, health care facilities and fire, police and municipal governments, can provide a more coordinated and consistent response to bioterrorism and improve our ability to create a ‘surge’ capacity to handle a bioterrorism or other catastrophic event,” Dr. Garcia stated.

“Our Connecticut hospitals serve as a safety net. The Yale New Haven Health System is committed to working with our colleagues to better prepare the state’s hospitals for what once would have been an unthinkable event—a large-scale terrorist attack which threatens the health and lives of civilians,” said Joseph A. Zaccagnino, president and CEO of the Yale New Haven Health System, which operates Yale-New Haven, Bridgeport and Greenwich Hospitals. “Hospitals have always been ready to handle emergencies and natural disasters; but we must be even better prepared to handle direct terrorist assaults capable of generating catastrophic numbers of victims.”

“The tragedies of September 11 taught us the sad lesson that in today’s world we must be prepared for disastrous acts of terrorism,” said John Meehan, president and CEO of Hartford Hospital. “Although the system responded immediately to the call for medical assistance and then to the ensuing concerns regarding bioterrorism, there is always room for improvement. Hartford Hospital, along with the physicians on our staff who are experts in emergency medicine and infectious disease, are pleased to play a leadership role in this state-wide effort to improve Connecticut’s ability to respond effectively to large-scale events of catastrophic nature.”

The two Centers of Excellence will possess expertise in bioterrorism emergency response including coordinated planning, communications, protocols, education and evaluation. These centers are strategically located in the state to provide maximum services to all of Connecticut's residents. A key to the success of an areawide Center of Excellence for Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response will be close collaboration with DPH. DPH’s epidemiologists are trained to conduct surveillance for infectious diseases, including surveillance for potential agents of bioterrorism and environmental agents, including potential agents of chemical terrorism. Along with the department’s highly trained laboratory personnel, these staff will provide much of the expertise to develop an effective surveillance and response system. These centers of excellence will also work with the Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA) and its various emergency preparedness work groups.

Specific initial activities of the Centers of Excellence include working with the other Connecticut hospitals to coordinate a statewide assessment of their preparedness for a bioterrorism event and leading planning efforts on a regional basis to accommodate at least 500 emergency patients in hospitals. They will also develop a plan and identify personnel to be trained to receive and distribute critical pharmaceutical stockpile items and manage a mass distribution of vaccine and/or antibiotics on a 24-hour a day, seven days per week basis.

DPH will work with these centers of excellence and CHA to plan and assist in developing systems to monitor and detect biological and chemical incidents and assess Connecticut hospital capacities to provide services on an emergent basis. DPH and CHA have been working collaboratively to coordinate Connecticut’s emergency preparedness since October 2001. CHA has taken a lead role in planning for the development of sophisticated communication and notification systems that will allow for secure and redundant communication between the Connecticut hospitals, DPH, first responders and the rest of the emergency management network.

“These centers will serve as a resource to other community hospitals, the EMS community and local public health departments, as well as to greatly augment Connecticut's overall capacity to respond to a bioterrorism attack,” said Dr. Garcia.

This release was issued by the Connecticut Department of Public Health. For more information, contact William Gerrish, Connecticut Department of Public Health, (860) 509-7270, or Bill Gombeski, Yale New Haven Health System, (203) 688-2488.

Yale New Haven Health System—the largest and most comprehensive integrated health care delivery system in Connecticut—is recognized for advanced clinical care, quality, service, cost effectiveness and commitment to improving the health status of the communities its members serve. Reaching even beyond Connecticut to those living in eastern New York and southwestern Rhode Island, Yale New Haven Health is committed to making the best health care easier to use.