Establishing a Pre-COVID-19 Hospital Biopreparedness Initiative

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2)/coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has amplified the role of hospitals in infectious disease response and capacity building. In efforts to respond to the growing volume of cases, hospitals have become a microcosm for US pandemic response. The COVID-19 outbreak has highlighted that hospital preparedness for biological events, such as a pandemic, are often inadequate and dependent on leadership investment in biopreparedness. This article discusses the proactive decision, before COVID-19, that a Phoenix-based hospital system made to invest in high-consequence disease (HCD) preparedness. Within these efforts, a gap analysis was performed, which led to creation of an HCD subcommittee and corresponding efforts to address vulnerabilities and opportunities for improvement. From establishing enhanced personal protective equipment (PPE) and infectious disease training for frontline staff, to building an outbreak tracking mechanism for travel alerts within the electronic medical record, the HCD efforts of this hospital system created a stronger foundation to respond to biological events like the COVID-19 pandemic.