The Biocontainment Unit's Unlikely Status as America's Emergency Room The University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and its renowned Biocontainment Unit have once again been thrust into the international spotlight due to their role in responding to exotic diseases.
This is not a new phenomenon; UNMC has become an unlikely hub for treating some of the world's most deadly pathogens. The concept of a "Biocontainment Unit" may seem like science fiction, but it is very real.
Established in 2005 under the direction of physician Philip Smith, the unit was created to handle high consequence infectious diseases.