NETEC: Transmission Interrupted: “Inside the National Special Pathogen System (NSPS): Dr. Laura Evans’ Vision for the NSPS”

In this episode of Transmission Interrupted, host Jill Morgan interviews Dr. Laura Evans, the new executive director of the NSPS, about her path from critical care leadership at Bellevue to national special pathogen preparedness. Dr. Evans recounts how the 2009 H1N1 pandemic and the 2014 Ebola outbreak shaped her focus on protecting health care workers while delivering high-quality care, and she describes Bellevue’s teamwork-driven responses, including Hurricane Sandy’s power crisis and evacuation supported by a fuel “bucket brigade.” She outlines NSPS’s goal of a tiered, trauma-like network built to be nimble and adaptable, discusses challenges such as sustaining hospital engagement, expanding Level 3 and 4 participation, and strengthening patient transport capacity, and frames upcoming mass gatherings like the World Cup as opportunities to advance preparedness nationwide.