Winter Park, FL - A few short years ago, the Ebola crisis killed more than 11,000 people worldwide and brought to everyone's attention the real threat that high consequence infectious diseases pose to the security of the nation.
The State of Florida is preparing for the next possible outbreak by training local EMTs and paramedics to move patients with contagious diseases safely between facilities.
Florida establishes an Infectious Disease Transportation Network
The Florida Department of Health, in partnership with public health, private healthcare providers, hospitals and emergency response teams throughout the entire state, have developed the Florida Infectious Disease Transportation Network (FIDTN). The purpose of the FIDTN is to send specially trained Emergency Medical Service (EMS) units to conduct transport of highly infectious disease patients from a hospital to a local airport, a designated treatment hospital, a “change-out” location for patient transfer, or to the Regional Treatment Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
Seven regions within the state have been identified, and a host agency has....
