Clinical Resources
Biological
The Nebraska Biocontainment Unit (NBU) was one of two go-to sites nationwide for the U.S. Department of State in 2014, and now serves as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Region VII Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Center (RESPTC). This 10-bed unit has been operational since 2005 and cared for three patients infected with Ebola Virus Disease during the 2014 outbreak, as well as early patients with COVID-19 in 2020.
The National Quarantine Unit (NQU), the nation’s only federal quarantine facility, is located in the Dr. Edwin G. & Dorothy Balbach Davis Global Center at UNMC. Located near the training and simulation center, this 20-bed quarantine facility will be the primary federal destination for people exposed to high-consequence infections.
Located on the UNMC campus, the Nebraska Public Health Lab is the collaboration between UNMC, Nebraska Medicine, and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. The biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) lab became the first state public health laboratory in the U.S. to test specimens that were positive for the Ebola virus disease (EVD), and played a key role in the biocontainment care of three patients with EVD in 2014. The lab was integrally involved in testing for COVID-19 in 2020.
The R7DHRE partners with the Region VII Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Center (RESPTC), the National Emerging Special Pathogen Training & Education Center (NETEC), and the UNMC Global Center for Health Security.
The National Emerging Special Pathogens Training & Education Center's (NETEC) mission is to set the gold standard for special pathogen preparedness and response across health systems in the U.S. with the goals of driving best practices, closing knowledge gaps, and developing innovative resources.
Nebraska Medicine's ICAP (Infection Control Assessment and Promotion Program) provides resources to promote appropriate infection prevention and control practices.
The Omaha Metropolitcan Health Care Coalition promotes optimal incident awareness and planning for its member organizations through the collection, aggregation, and dissemination of incident information as well as the promotion of coordinated response strategies.
Chemical
The Region VII Disaster Health Response Ecosystem's (R7DHRE) chemical team an asset, available 24/7, to assist in the medical management of chemical and toxicological incidents throughout Region VII. The Nebraska Poison Control Center is a partner.
The Nebraska Poison Control Center has a specially trained team of registered nurses, pharmacists, and physicians.
Chemical Incidents: CBRN Agents Overview and Quick Reference Guide
A list of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's chemical agents.
Toxic chemicals react with the skin, may not be easily removed, and thereby continue to cause injury for an extended time. The severity of a chemical burn is reduced by prompt recognition and reducing the duration of contact. Learn more about chemical burns and first aid.
Burn
The R7DHRE Burn Specialty Team is a regional resource available to augment personnel and supply needs in coordination with local and state resources and regional ABA burn coordinators in the event of a large scale burn incident that exceeds the capability of the burn center.
Radiation
The Radiological Specialty Team / Radiological Specialty Response Teams (RSRT) is available to assist in the management of radiologic and nuclear emergencies where requirements exceed the capabilities of local clinical and response personnel.
Disaster Available Supplies
The DASH Burn Supply Module (BSM) is intended to help hospitals plan for a large number of burn patients presenting to their facility following a mass casualty incident. Based on user inputs about hospital characteristics, the module estimates supplies needed for initial dressings, topical treatments, and patient care.
The DASH Hospital Pharmacy Module (HPM) is intended to provide estimates of pharmaceuticals and intravenous fluids that may be required at a facility for the first 48 hours after a mass casualty incident occurs.
The DASH Trauma Supply Module (TSM) is intended to help hospitals estimate supplies needed to care for seriously injured trauma patients in the first 48 hours following a mass casualty incident. Estimates of needed supplies are based on the hospital’s trauma level and adjusted for factors including the number of emergency department beds, the hospital’s role in the community, and a facility’s potential isolation following a natural disaster.
The DASH Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Module is intended to help hospitals plan for supplemental PPE needs of personnel providing acute care to patients with confirmed or suspected special pathogen infection or pandemic type event.
The Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) is part of the federal medical response infrastructure and can supplement medical countermeasures needed by states, tribal nations, territories and the largest metropolitan areas during public health emergencies.