Activity

Measures to Enhance the Effectiveness of CDC Quarantine Station Expansion Plan for U.S. Ports of Entry

Type:

Consensus Study

Topic(s):

Global Health, Health Services, Coverage, and Access

Board(s):

Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice

Activity Description

As public health faces the increasingly complex demands of the 21st century, the federal government has provided funding to expand the number and scope of stations in the quarantine station network.

Sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this study assessed the current and future border quarantine functions and structure, focusing on:

1. the current role of quarantine stations as a public health intervention and how the roles should evolve to meet the needs of the 21st century;
2. the role of other agencies and organizations working collaboratively with the CDC's Division of Global Migration and Quarantine at ports of entry, including federal partners such as Customs & Border Protection; Immigration and Customs Enforcement; U.S. Department of Agriculture; and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service;
3. the role of state and local health departments as partners for public health interventions at the nation's borders (such as activities focused on emergency preparedness and response, disease surveillance and medical assessment and follow-up of newly arriving immigrants and refugees);
4. optimal locations for the quarantine stations for efficient and sufficient monitoring and response;
5. appropriate types of health professionals and necessary skill sets to staff a modern quarantine station; and
6. surge capacity to respond to public health emergencies.