MEETING EBOLA AT THE DOOR A facilities assessment project in West Africa to identify deficiencies and opportunities for treating Ebola patients yielded a triage prototype that can be used anywhere By Gerard Georges the recent outbreak of Ebola in parts of West Africa put in focus the lack of a coherent strategy for addressing infectious disease outbreaks, as fear and confusion around the crisis resulted in many potentially preventable deaths. Partners In Health (PIH) has been leading a coalition to combat outbreaks of Ebola in West Africa. As part of its effort, PIH asked Shepley Bulfinch to prepare a facilities assessment report to identify existing deficiencies and potential opportunities to improve patient outcomes at four hospitals in Liberia and Sierra Leone. As a secondary goal that aligned with the infrastructure assessment, the firm identified short-term and midrange renovations, additions, and upgrades to strengthen clinical care at each facility. From this, the design team developed a triage prototype that addresses issues of air flow, circulation, and the management of contaminated materials. While developed with the population of West Africa in mind, essential aspects of the prototype unit offer examples that can inform infectious disease control and public health around the world. 58 HCDmagazine.com 05.16 03.16http://www.HCDmagazine.com