U.S. News & World Report: Unexpected Lessons From the Ebola Outbreak
Elaine Cox, medical director of infection prevention at Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health

“…The [Ebola] outbreak and its aftermath in Africa are devastating. We should not add to the toll by ignoring critical lessons for health care systems in developed countries. … To ensure that each of these lessons is lived out to the fullest, our public health system must step up and help us prepare for medical, not just natural, emergencies. We need better reflexes so that we can respond early with set protocols for safety, faster diagnostic tests, better and more flexible facilities, and teams that work together in a true and total environment of safety. Perhaps we should take a cue from the Department of Defense and begin honing early warning systems for emerging health care threats, so we can be in the offensive — not defensive — position. We must have a plan for when the alarm sounds…” (5/18).