Making the case for biopreparedness in frontline hospitals: a Phoenix case study

Hospitals play a critical role in responding to infectious disease threats. From Ebola to Amerithrax, the ability to detect and respond to an infectious disease can ultimately determine the level of impact the event has within the community. Hospital biopreparedness has represented an underfunded and under-appreciated facet of biodefense and global health security. As it is often seen as a cost center and not a revenue generator, there is little incentive to invest in costly biopreparedness efforts for an event that might never occur. This chapter reflects on the proactive efforts of one hospital system in Phoenix, Arizona, to build such a program for high-consequence diseases. While it will reflect on the challenges of such an endeavor, it will also reveal how helpful the program became in the face of the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 pandemic.