National Quarantine Center/ TSQC

About the TSQC

The result of a nearly $20 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), the national Training, Simulation, and Quarantine Center (TSQC) opened its doors in October 2019. The TSQC encompasses an entire floor of the $119 million Dr. Erwin G. & Dorothy Balbach Davis Global Center at UNMC's Omaha campus. This facility allows the GCHS to further integrate its resources and expand education and training opportunities. Funded with a grant from HHS/ASPR, the TSQC is home to the most advanced experiential equipment and programming available for training federal and public healthcare personnel, and the NQU provides unmatched quarantine monitoring and care for those exposed to high-consequence pathogens. 

The TSQC includes:

• 20-bed National Quarantine Unit (NQU)
• Six-bed National Biocontainment Training Center, a simulated biocontainment unit for advanced experiential training. This high-fidelity simulation center includes a mock lab and autoclave.
• Emergency Operations Center 

TSQC Training Programs:

The TSQC has designed and implemented three core training programs that are commissioned by HHS/ASPR for National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) and U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) personnel:

• Isolation, Simulation, and Quarantine program
• Infectious Disease Transport program
• Infectious Disease Mortuary Care program

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About the NQU 

In November 2019, the TSQC enrolled its first students. Within two months, the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in Wuhan, China, and the TSQC activated the National Quarantine Unit (NQU) while temporarily suspending in-person training activities. 

Leveraging new cutting-edge facilities and simulation equipment, these occupation-specific training modules instruct deployable rapid response teams and/or hospital-based teams how to quickly, safely, and effectively manage high-consequence infection situations. 

The NQU at UNMC/GCHS is the only federally funded resource of its kind; it is specifically designed to provide first-class quarantine and isolation care to individuals exposed to highly hazardous communicable diseases. Its 20 rooms employ individual negative air pressure systems, are single occupancy with en suite bathroom facilities, and contain exercise equipment and Wifi connectivity for patients requiring longer stays. 

The NQU's all-volunteer team is comprised of highly skilled nurses, physicians, and allied health professionals who complete quarterly training in specialized infection prevention and control processes as well as participate in exercises and drills. They are committed to maintaining the advanced skills necessary for attending to the unique needs of individuals requiring admittances to the NQU or the adjacent Regional Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Center (RESPTC) housed at Nebraska Medicine. 

 

Facility Information:

•  Each room has at least 300 square feet of living space, engineering controls for special pathogen containment, and comfort amenities including fitness equipment, ensuring well-being for individuals in the facility.
• The NQU includes an access-controlled garage for transportation vehicles and emergency medical services (EMS) allowing secure admission and transfer of individuals requiring quarantine.
•  The floor’s emergency operations center is the nexus for the team’s response activities particularly activation of the National Quarantine Unit. It enables real‑time coordination and communication with local, state, and federal partners to support patient care and public health response.

Education and Training:

• Annual three-day exercise testing operations and coordination procedures in partnership with federal, state and local agencies, RESPTC and National Emerging Special Pathogens Training Center (NETEC)
• Annual education and training sessions for all response staff
• Training modules: Infection prevention and control (IPC) considerations, waste management, EMS workflow, security considerations, personal protective equipment selection and use, and IT systems utilization.

Previous Activations and Exercises:

• Wuhan repatriation in Ashland, NE (2020)
• Diamond Princess cruise ship repatriation (2020)
• Federal responders (2020)
• 3-Day NQU exercise (Annually since 2021)
• Enhanced readiness for Iowa Lassa Fever support (2024)
• FDA/UTMB course (2024; 2025)
  
  

Negative pressure guest rooms in the NQU