Building Our Pandemic Shield: A New Investment in America's Health Defenses

ATLANTA, GA – June 23, 2026 – In the quiet spaces between global health crises, the crucial work of preparing for the next one continues. Today, the National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center (NETEC) announced a significant step in that effort: a second round of funding to fortify the nation’s specialized healthcare infrastructure. Backed by the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), the initiative will award up to 21 U.S. hospitals grants of up to $500,000 each, expanding a vital network designed to handle the world's most dangerous infectious diseases.

This new funding, part of the National Special Pathogen System (NSPS) STAND Award program, builds on a successful first round that enlisted 54 facilities. The ultimate goal is to create a robust, nationwide system of 75 Level 2 Special Pathogen Treatment Centers (SPTCs). These are not just any hospitals; they are designated front-line defenders, equipped and trained to provide definitive care for patients with high-consequence infectious diseases (HCIDs) from diagnosis through recovery. It’s a move away from reactive panic and toward a permanent state of readiness.

“As recent outbreaks around the world continue to demonstrate, infectious disease threats can emerge with little warning and quickly challenge health care systems,” said Dr. Laura Evans, Executive Director of the National Special Pathogen System. “Through the STAND Award program, we are strengthening a national system that helps hospitals prepare before a crisis occurs, rather than responding after one has already begun.”

A National Blueprint for Resilience

The NSPS is the architectural plan for America’s biocontainment strategy. Born from the lessons of the 2014 Ebola outbreak and refined after the crucible of COVID-19, it represents a profound shift in public health policy. Managed by NETEC—a consortium of Emory University, NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue, and the University of Nebraska Medical Center—the system organizes the country’s healthcare facilities into a tiered framework. This structure ensures that from the smallest local clinic (Level 4) to the most advanced regional hubs (Level 1), there is a clear protocol for identifying, isolating, and treating a special pathogen threat.

The current funding focuses on bolstering the critical Level 2 tier. These SPTCs are the workhorses of the system, designed to manage clusters of patients and prevent regional outbreaks from spiraling into national emergencies. By formalizing this network, ASPR and NETEC are creating a system of mutual support, where expertise, resources, and surge capacity can be shared seamlessly across state lines. It’s an explicit acknowledgment that in a pandemic, a hospital’s strength is not just in its own walls, but in the network it belongs to.

This federal investment underscores a commitment to sustained preparedness. While the $500,000 grants provide a crucial injection of capital for infrastructure, equipment, and training, they are part of a larger strategy. ASPR’s long-term cooperative agreements with NETEC signal that this is not a temporary fix but a foundational element of national security. The system is designed to be scalable and sustainable, embedding the high cost of readiness into the nation’s long-term public health budget.

Bringing Advanced Care Closer to Home

For most Americans, the idea of a “high-consequence infectious disease” feels distant, like a problem for faraway countries or major metropolitan centers. This funding initiative aims to change that perception by strengthening capabilities in communities across the nation. The expansion to 75 verified centers is a deliberate effort to close geographic gaps in preparedness, ensuring that specialized care is never too far away.

“By investing in NSPS Level 2 centers, we build regional surge capacity and develop capabilities with hospitals across the country—not only in major metropolitan areas—to respond rapidly and effectively when patients with special pathogens require care,” explained Dr. Aneesh K. Mehta, NETEC Co-Principal Investigator at Emory University.

This regional approach has two profound human impacts. First, it allows patients to be treated closer to home, reducing the immense physical and emotional toll of being transported hundreds of miles during a health crisis. Second, it builds a trusted local capacity. When a community knows its own hospital is prepared, it mitigates the fear and misinformation that can be as damaging as the virus itself. It also protects the broader healthcare system. By containing and managing HCID patients in specialized units, these hospitals preserve their ability to continue providing routine medical care, from delivering babies to performing essential surgeries.

Dr. Vikramjit Mukherjee, NETEC Co-Principal Investigator at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue, emphasized the dual benefit. “Strong regional treatment networks improve access to specialized care and strengthen the nation’s ability to manage infectious disease threats of all kinds,” he stated. “Expanding the number of verified Level 2 centers enhances both patient care and health care worker safety while supporting a coordinated national response.”

Inside the Invisible Front Line

Becoming a Level 2 Special Pathogen Treatment Center is an arduous, technically demanding process. The STAND Award funding helps hospitals meet a rigorous set of 11 capability domains, transforming a standard facility into a biocontainment-ready site. This involves far more than simply buying new equipment.

It requires significant infrastructure upgrades, such as creating or enhancing airborne infection isolation rooms with specialized ventilation to prevent cross-contamination. It can mean upgrading an on-site laboratory to a higher biosafety level to handle dangerous pathogens safely. It necessitates investment in specialized personal protective equipment (PPE) and, critically, the development of exhaustive protocols for waste management and decontamination.

Perhaps the most vital component is human expertise. “Preparedness is not a one-time achievement; it requires sustained investment in training, infrastructure, and operational readiness,” noted Dr. John Lowe, NETEC Co-Principal Investigator at University of Nebraska Medical Center. The funding supports advanced, repetitive training for doctors, nurses, and support staff, ensuring they can perform high-stakes procedures under pressure while flawlessly executing infection control measures like donning and doffing complex PPE.

This investment creates a cadre of experts within each facility, a team that runs regular drills and exercises to maintain a state of constant readiness. They are the invisible front line, preparing for a crisis they hope never comes. This second round of funding, with applications open until August 3, 2026, is another crucial step in ensuring that when the next threat emerges, America has a shield in place, ready to respond with confidence instead of fear.