A health security analyst spots an unusual pattern in disease surveillance data. The evidence points to a new pathogen that’s spreading fast. The warning signs are obvious to experts who monitor these signals.

But then comes the hard part: turning that early intelligence into real hospital infection prevention measures. In those first critical days before official guidance exists, hospitals face a tough choice: Act quickly with limited information or wait for clarity while risks grow.

This gap between alert and action isn’t theoretical — it’s a basic flaw in our healthcare system that keeps showing up at the worst times. We saw it in the early days of COVID-19, during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, and in the 2014 Ebola outbreak. Each time, delays in stepping up infection prevention led to bigger problems down the line.

Let’s be straight about something: Whatever you think about COVID-19, its origins, or how political it became, the basic problem hasn’t changed. When warning signs pop up, hospitals need clear steps for quickly sizing up the threat and putting protective measures in place — even when they don’t have all the facts.

This is why I’m launching a new course: “Alert to Action: Infection Prevention in Crisis Mode.” Built on years of real experience tracking and handling health security crises, this program tackles the practical challenge of quickly turning warning signs into working infection prevention protocols.

The stakes are massive. Disease outbreaks move faster than ever. New threats keep emerging. Existing treatments stop working. Yet we’re still using old methods to turn early warnings into hospital action.

Private health security teams regularly spot trouble before official channels raise alarms. But this head start often goes to waste because hospitals don’t have solid plans for acting on these early signals.

Through real case studies and hands-on practice, people taking this course will learn how to:

- Spot and understand early warning signs

- Make smart calls about stepping up infection prevention

- Put emergency protocols in place that match the threat

- Get their organization ready to move quickly when needed

- Keep things running smoothly when facts are scarce

We’ve watched this play out too many times: Warning signs appear. Analysis shows real danger. But hospitals, without clear steps to follow, sit waiting for official word while time runs out.

It doesn’t have to work this way. By building better systems to bridge the gap between alert and action, we can protect healthcare workers, keep patients safe, and keep our hospitals running when threats first show up.

The time to build these skills is now, before the next crisis hits. We can’t know exactly what the next health threat will be, but we know warning signs will show up first. The question is whether hospitals will be ready to act on them.

Join other healthcare leaders in solving this crucial problem. Sign up now for “Alert to Action: Infection Prevention in Crisis Mode” and make sure your facility knows how to turn early warnings into quick, effective action.

Registration is now open — brought to you by Crisis Lab.

Enroll Today in Alert to Action: Infection Prevention in Crisis Mode here.