Oklahoma health officials creating Ebola unit

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – Oklahoma health officials say they are developing a specialized unit to treat patients who may be diagnosed with the Ebola virus.

State health commissioner Doctor Terry Cline announced development of the unit on Friday.

No one in Oklahoma has been diagnosed with the disease, and Cline says the new unit may never be put into action. The action comes as a result of a collaborative planning effort with the Oklahoma State Department of Health, the Oklahoma Hospital Association, OU Medical Center management and metropolitan hospitals in Oklahoma City and Tulsa.

The new unit will be operated by the University of Oklahoma Medical Center and will be located in a decommissioned hospital building on the Oklahoma Health Center campus in Oklahoma City – away from existing patient care facilities.