Meeting the need for surge capacity at U.S. ports of entry

The 2003 SARS epidemic underscored the need for trained staff to provide surge capacity during public health emergencies. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) network of quarantine stations responded to this need by developing trainings for public health professionals that equip them to serve as surge capacity at ports of entry during such emergencies.

The Miami Quarantine Station developed a 3-day course to train local public health professionals to serve as surge capacity staff, and negotiated airport pre-badging for those trained. The success of this training led to the creation of a national online course, developed collaboratively with the University of Michigan Center for Public Health Preparedness.

These training efforts strengthen the public health infrastructure by producing a cadre of public health advisors, and state and local health department staff who are now prepared to respond to public health emergencies at CDC quarantine stations. In addition, our strong partnership with the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps has resulted in an agreement to provide officers as surge capacity at CDC quarantine stations.

Creating these training courses challenged the quarantine station network to develop policies applicable across the system, including a standard set of activities performed by surge capacity staff (e.g., visual screening of travelers) and a core set of skills required of those serving in the role. A registry of trained surge capacity staff will be accessible to quarantine stations so that regional calls for assistance can be targeted to those who have received the training.