The Center for Sustainment of Trauma Readiness Skills (C-STARS) Omaha, a collaboration between UNMC, Nebraska Medicine, and the Air Force Research Laboratory’s School of Aerospace Medicine, recently conducted its inaugural Principles of Biocontainment Care course.
C-STARS Omaha trained a class of five, including three active-duty Air Force infectious diseases physicians, the infectious disease consultant for the Air Force, and the infection prevention consultant for the Air Force.
It was a milestone for the innovative program, established in response to lessons learned from the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola virus epidemic but now operating during a pandemic created by another infectious disease, COVID-19. C-STARS Omaha, led by Lt. Col. Elizabeth Schnaubelt, MD, is the only Department of Defense unit to specialize in training, education and domain expertise to safely manage and transport individuals who have been exposed to or infected with highly hazardous communicable diseases.
Other C-STARS units are located in Cincinnati, Baltimore, St. Louis and Las Vegas, each with a different specialty focus. C-STARS Omaha works closely with UNMC’s Global Center for Health Security, the Interprofessional Experiential Center for Enduring Learning or iEXCEL, and the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit to take advantage of the medical center’s unique capabilities and the staff’s expertise in biopreparedness training, research and care.
The weeklong foundational class in highly hazardous communicable diseases includes didactic lectures, simulation experiences and hands-on skills training modeled after methods used by the Global Center for Health Security and pioneered by the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit team.
“Leveraging our partnership with UNMC and Nebraska Medicine has allowed us to model our education and training platform after what is widely considered the international gold standard for all things biopreparedness training, research and patient care,” said Technical Sergeant Victor Kipping Cordoba, Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge, C-STARS Omaha. “Greatly enhancing the readiness of our medical personnel and increasing our ability to address novel threats.”
In the future, training health professionals from other specialties and other U.S. service branches is likely, as it is the only program within the U.S. Department of Defense that specializes in biocontainment care.
C-STARS Omaha currently consists of a cadre of seven active duty service members: Lt. Col. Schnaubelt, C-STARS Omaha director and infectious disease physician; Maj. Tiffany Welsh, deputy director and trauma nurse; Maj. Felicia Craddieth, nurse program manager and infection prevention and control nurse; Maj. David Kline, physician program manager and infectious disease physician; Capt. John McClain, medical director and pulmonary critical care physician; Bob Valentine, administrator; and TSgt. Kipping Cordoba, NCO in Charge and public health technician. All are embedded into UNMC and work in their respective specialties when not actively teaching or preparing to deliver courses.
Great work C-STARS team! It is always a pleasure to work with you all!