Gov. Andrew Cuomo has announced that two more hospitals have received designations to treat potential Ebola patients, both of them in Buffalo. The addition of Erie County Medical Center and Women and Children's Hospital bring the total of Ebola-prepared hospitals to ten statewide.
“In joining the eight other designated Ebola treatment centers across the State, these two hospitals are further bolstering our level of preparedness here in New York. As we continuing to expand the list of designated treatment centers to ensure geographic diversity, New Yorkers should rest assured that we are doing everything necessary to safeguard against the risks of Ebola,” Cuomo said, in a written statement.
New York's Ebola Preparedness Plan calls for the hospitals to be equipped for isolation, identification, and treatment of Ebola patients. The state is also working with other hospitals to help them prepare appropriate protocols to identify and isolate any suspected Ebola cases.
Prior to Thursday's announcement, the nearest Ebola-prepared center to Western New York was University of Rochester Medical Center.
Representatives from both hospitals will give more details at a news conference late Thursday afternoon at Women and Children's Hospital.