WASHINGTON– U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) lauded the announcement that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has selected two academic institutions in Maryland to become Prevention Epicenters.  Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland are two of six institutions receiving a combined $11 million to identify possible new and improved ways to prevent the spread of infectious diseases like Ebola in health care facilities. The goal is to help doctors and nurses better protect the health and safety of their patients, and each other, from high-risk disease threats. 

“Men and women at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland are on the front lines of combating the spread of diseases we’ve heard of, and many we haven’t,” said Senator Cardin, a member of the Senate Finance Committee on Health Care. “Investing in research to develop best practices to stop the spread of diseases in health care settings is a matter of national security that strengthens public health and protects patients and providers alike. I applaud Johns Hopkins and University of Maryland for the years of excellence that made them obvious choices for this designation and look forward to the progress they will help build.”   

The spread of infectious diseases in health care settings is a problem in the U.S., adding billions of dollars to health care costs. Infectious diseases like influenza, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and C. difficile (C. diff) can spread when infection control measures are insufficient or if recommendations are not followed. 

The additional institutions funded to identify infectious disease-related innovations from 2015 to 2018 are:

• The Johns Hopkins University
• University of Maryland, Baltimore
• Emory University
• University of Illinois, Chicago
• University of Iowa
• University of Utah

The new Prevention Epicenters will focus on projects that:

• Prevent the spread of infectious germs in health care facilities, including Ebola virus
• Evaluate best approaches to using personal protective equipment
• Study novel approaches to minimizing the role of the health care environment in germ transmission

CDC’s existing Prevention Epicenters are:

• Cook County Health & Hospital System and Rush University Medical Center
• Duke University
• Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and University of California, Irvine
• University of Pennsylvania
• Washington University

###