High-Consequence Infectious Diseases at Mayo Clinic: A Collaborative Approach to Readiness

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Infectious Diseases
• Biocontainment

Background:

• The One Health concept highlights the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health, increasing the risk of novel pathogen emergence.
• Effective identification, isolation, and communication strategies for high-consequence infectious diseases (HCIDs) are crucial for public health preparedness.
• Healthcare organizations require robust systems for managing HCIDs to mitigate widespread outbreaks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To detail the Mayo Clinic's HCID Expansion Project (2021-2024) and its systems-based approach to enhancing biocontainment readiness.
• To share practical lessons learned from expanding HCID preparedness across a large health system.
• To offer an adaptable framework for other healthcare organizations to build and sustain effective HCID response strategies.

Main Methods:

• A systems-based approach was employed to expand HCID readiness.
• Administrative, financial, technological, and clinical resources were strategically leveraged.
• The project extended biocontainment capabilities from a central hub to tertiary hospitals within the Mayo Clinic Health System.

Main Results:

• Successfully expanded HCID readiness across the Mayo Clinic Health System.
• Demonstrated the feasibility of a systems-based approach to biocontainment expansion.
• Identified key resources and strategies for enhancing HCID preparedness.

Conclusions:

• A proactive, systems-based strategy is effective for expanding HCID readiness.
• Sharing lessons learned facilitates the development of adaptable frameworks for public health outbreaks.
• Healthcare organizations can enhance their response capabilities through strategic resource allocation and planning.