Harborview Medical Center (Wash. State) VOLUNTEERS to treat Ebola patients

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SHORELINE, Wash. - Harborview Medical Center in Seattle said Monday it is willing to receive U.S. residents who are evacuated from West Africa for treatment of Ebola.

There are no patients with Ebola in Washington state and no plans to evacuate patients to the region soon, but local and state health officials said at a news conference that they're preparing in case there's such a need.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put out a request last week to find hospitals that could treat U.S. health care workers and others who are infected with Ebola, and Harborview stepped up, officials said.

Dr. Timothy Dellit, the hospital's associate medical director, said accepting Ebola patients is consistent with its mission and role in serving the public in Seattle and the region.

"It will depend on the hospital's current capacity and our ability to maintain our critical functions," he said.

Plus, officials say, they have to be ready to deal with people who might think they have Ebola.

"Though we may not actually have a real Ebola case in our area, we will certainly have a number of false alarms and patients that need to be evaluated," said Dr. Jeff Duchin, chief communicable disease epidemiologist for Public Health-Seattle and King County.


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