Gov. Mike Johanns announced a plan Tuesday to advance Nebraska’s efforts in bioterrorism preparedness. The goal of the plan is to combine private and public funding to construct a bioterrorism preparedness facility at UNMC.
Under the plan, UNMC would receive a total of $6 million over the next three years from federal homeland security funding designated for Nebraska. In addition, the Governor is recommending that UNMC receive a total of $6 million over the next three years from the Health Care Cash Fund. That $12 million would be contingent upon the university receiving $30 million in private funding.
“This initiative is an opportunity for the state to leverage its resources with those of the private sector to advance our prominent position in the national bioterrorism preparedness effort,” Gov. Johanns said. “The University of Nebraska, and UNMC specifically, has demonstrated tremendous passion and commitment toward being a national leader in bioterrorism preparedness. The partnership between the state and university in this area is very unique, and this facility would give us the necessary capabilities to expand that partnership to the federal level.”
The $30 million in private funding would also assist in constructing the Research Center for Excellence II, a “sister building” to the Durham Research Center at UNMC. The RCE II would be an 11-level, 227,000-gross-square-foot facility that would house 77 research laboratories. More than 30 percent of the laboratory space would comprise the Nebraska Bioterrorism Preparedness Laboratories (NBPL).
“The Governor’s Office has led a concerted effort to put Nebraska at the forefront of many areas of bioterrorism preparedness, and we’re excited that our expertise is a major component of that effort,” University of Nebraska President L. Dennis Smith, Ph.D., said. “We’re very appreciative that the Governor has included the University of Nebraska in the Homeland Security Policy Group, and we’re glad to help the state maintain its leadership position in this area.”
UNMC Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D., said, “Undoubtedly, this facility would elevate our bioterrorism preparedness efforts to the next level. With this building, we would better be able to address an urgent national need and better protect the safety of Nebraskans.”
Nebraska Lt. Gov. Dave Heineman, who directs Nebraska’s Homeland Security efforts, said the new facility is necessary if Nebraska is to continue as a national leader in bioterrorism preparedness.
“Gov. Johanns has led a two-year effort to call attention to the capabilities within the state of Nebraska, including novel programs by the Health and Human Services System, the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency and all of the members of the Homeland Security Policy Group,” Lt. Gov. Heineman said. “The university’s capabilities, in partnership with the state, are among the best in the nation, and federal officials are recognizing our expertise.”
The partnership between UNMC and the state in this area can be traced to the mid-1990s, when UNMC became the first academic medical center in the nation to totally integrate a state’s medical tests with its hospital laboratory. The NPHL has been a national leader in many projects, including developing connections with small rural hospitals and laboratories as well as improving diagnostic capabilities for biological and chemical agents that could threaten the well-being of Nebraska’s citizens. In the past year, the NPHL was selected as one of 23 U.S. labs to perform testing for smallpox during the national vaccination program.
Steven Hinrichs, M.D., a UNMC professor and NPHL director, said the new facility would strengthen the university’s position in competing for national grants and federal programs that are emphasizing national security and preventive strategies for “select agents,” or those infectious diseases that are thought to have use as weapons of mass destruction.
“This will allow us to consolidate our biosecurity efforts and rapidly expand our capabilities in a number of key areas, including infectious disease research, diagnostic testing, bioinformatics and specialized services,” said Dr. Hinrichs, who also directs the NU Center for Biosecurity.
A new bioinformatics program, which would be housed in the new facility, would enhance diagnostic capabilities, Dr. Hinrichs said. That program would include new software programs that would rapidly analyze biologic select agents and determine important characteristics, such as antibiotic resistance. The center also would house the proposed National Biosecurity Center for Rural Health (NBCRH).
Richard Raymond, M.D., chief medical officer for the state of Nebraska, said that although West Nile Virus is not a select agent, the increased capacity established from previous bioterrorism preparedness funds allowed for the rapid expansion of testing capability during the West Nile outbreak in Nebraska this past year.
“It is expected that having modern, up-to-date facilities would contribute significantly to the laboratory’s ability to respond to future emerging infectious diseases,” Dr. Raymond said.