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Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center and the University of Virginia Medical Center are the designated Ebola treatment centers in Virginia should there be a case and the patient cannot be transferred to a national biocontainment facility such as the National Institutes of Health or Emory University Hospital.

The voluntary agreement was announced Monday by the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association, which worked with the Virginia Department of Health on the tiered response plan.

Both the U.Va. and VCU facilities are teaching hospitals or academic medical centers, with staffs that include experts in infectious disease, infection control and epidemiology.

The plan establishes “a clear, coordinated and concise strategy in partnership with the Virginia Department of Health for preparing for and treating Ebola patients,” said John L. Fitzgerald, chairman of the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association and CEO of Inova Fair Oaks Hospital, in a statement released by ﻿ the association.

“By designating specific facilities for treating Ebola patients and pooling resources, we can ensure that Virginia is as ready as possible if Ebola comes to our state,” he said.