The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will install 229 Dell computers in its new Marcus Emergency Operations Center (EOC), scheduled to open in the fall of 2005.
The new facility, which will become CDC’s primary EOC, is designed to help the agency track and respond to disease outbreaks and other emergencies even more efficiently, building on best practices learned over the past year.
The CDC Foundation said it will purchase the Dell systems through a gift from the Marcus Foundation, which committed $3.9 million in 2003 to enable the CDC Foundation to equip the EOC with the best technologies available. Through significant discounts, Dell will help the CDC Foundation save about $180,000 on the equipment.
The agreement was announced here today in conjunction with a visit to the CDC by Dell Chairman Michael Dell. He met with CDC director Dr. Julie Gerberding, CDC chief information officer James Seligman, and CDC Foundation president and CEO Charles Stokes to discuss the role of technology in responding to public health issues.
“The EOC has been an invaluable resource to CDC staff, committed to protecting the nation from emerging infections and responding to natural disasters like the hurricanes that recently hit the southern United States,” Dr. Gerberding said. “Standards-based computer systems have been an integral part of our response to these threats, and our new EOC with state-of-the-art technology should take us to new heights in our ability to respond quickly.”
The new EOC will manage all CDC emergency operations and enable immediate communication between CDC, the Department of Health and Human Services, as well as federal intelligence and emergency response officials, the Department of Homeland Security and state and local public health officials.
“The ability of information technology to defy geography is one of its greatest attributes,” Mr. Dell said. “The CDC saves lives by sharing information across great distances and we’re proud of our role in helping make that possible.”
The current Marcus EOC was activated after the Columbia Space Shuttle disaster to communicate with state and local public health officials about possible health hazards from shuttle debris. CDC also activated the EOC within hours of learning about the global spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).
Murdok | Breaking eBusiness News
Your source for investigative ebusiness reporting and breaking news.
