HAP Webinar Highlights Hospital Strategies for Measles Preparedness and Response

October 28, 2026

Hospitals across Pennsylvania are strengthening their preparedness for measles through proactive planning, coordinated response strategies, and collaboration across health care organizations.

HAP’s Measles Preparedness and Response Sharing Series brings together hospital professionals to share real-world experiences, discuss emerging challenges, and exchange practical approaches to protecting patients, staff, and communities.

The first session featured presentations from Geisinger Health experts John Harahus, emergency preparedness coordinator and emergency management project manager for Geisinger’s Biocontainment Unit; Donna Wolk, division chief of molecular and microbial diagnostics and development; and Julie Hirschhorn, system director of molecular microbiology. The speakers explored how hospitals can adapt existing infectious disease protocols to measles and strengthen diagnostic capabilities to support clinical and infection prevention decisions.

The presentations emphasized the importance of preparing before cases arise, engaging multidisciplinary teams, and developing scalable processes that support an effective response. Geisinger’s team offered practical lessons for hospitals seeking to improve screening, patient isolation, laboratory testing, and communication among clinical and operational teams.

Here are a few key takeaways:

• Adapt existing infectious disease protocols:  Hospitals can build on established “identify, isolate, and inform” procedures while recognizing that measles exposures may occur before a patient is identified through electronic health record screening. Early recognition, masking, appropriate isolation, and timely communication are essential components of preparedness, said Harahus.

 “It’s better to prepare now. It’s been beneficial for us in preparing early,” Harahus said.

• Plan for space and environmental considerations:  Infection prevention, facilities, and clinical teams should work together to identify appropriate isolation rooms, evaluate ventilation and air-handling systems, and establish alternative waiting spaces and room decontamination processes.
• Strengthen multidisciplinary coordination:  A coordinated response brings together infectious disease specialists, infection prevention, microbiology, emergency management, employee health, system leadership, and other key partners. Geisinger also highlighted the value of centralized information resources and secure communication channels to facilitate rapid consultation and consistent guidance.
• Invest in timely, reliable diagnostic testing:  Geisinger developed an in-house measles test, which went live on August 19, 2026. The initiative demonstrates how proactive planning and collaboration across laboratory, clinical, information technology, and operational teams can strengthen response capabilities.
• Prepare now and make decisions using data:  Speakers emphasized the importance of multi-disciplinary planning, staff access to necessary resources, scalable response processes, and data-driven decisions. Hospitals were encouraged to identify potential barriers, review existing workflows and establish clear processes.

HAP thanks the hospital community for taking part in these important sharing sessions. Register for the upcoming sessions online.