Nov. 4, 2014: JHM Ebola Safety Update: CDC Training Modules

Dear Colleagues,

For some months now, infectious disease and other clinical experts within Johns Hopkins Medicine and throughout the country have been preparing to safely care for patients with Ebola virus disease. An important aspect for physicians and nurses in providing care for these patients is proper training to securely put on and remove personal protective equipment (PPE). Mastering these two processes is critical to preventing the spread of the virus.

We recently informed you that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had asked Johns Hopkins Medicine to lead a team of infectious disease experts to create a series of Web-based training modules to ensure that the CDC's guidelines for the proper use of PPE were presented as thoroughly and simply as possible.

Spearheaded by Peter Pronovost and members of the Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality, the project brought together systems engineers, psychologists, nurses and design experts to produce the online program, Ebola Preparedness: PPE Guidelines. We are pleased to announce that the training is now available at no charge to health care workers throughout the country on the CDC's website.

The development of this training program is an example of the benefits of collaboration between the public and private sector and between Johns Hopkins Medicine and The Johns Hopkins University. A behind-the-scenes video documents the teamwork and collaboration involved in creating a program that provides the best training and safety measures for clinicians who will care for patients with Ebola.

We appreciate the input and leadership from our colleagues at the Johns Hopkins Medicine Office of Epidemiology and Infection Prevention; The Johns Hopkins Hospital's Department of Hospital Epidemiology and Infection Control; The Johns Hopkins University's schools of medicine, public health and nursing; the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory; Howard County General, Sibley Memorial and Suburban hospitals; and Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center.

Sincerely,

Paul B. Rothman, M.D.
Dean of the Medical Faculty
CEO, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Ronald R. Peterson
President
The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System
EVP, Johns Hopkins Medicine