St. Mary’s Hospital has been designated as one of four specialized treatment centers that would care for Ebola patients should the virus arrive in Minnesota.

The Minnesota Hospital Association announced the designation Friday as part of a coordinated strategy for dealing with the possibility of an Ebola infection in the state. Under the plan, all Minnesota hospitals will be prepared to detect, isolate and provide initial care to suspected Ebola patients until they could be transferred to one of the designated hospitals.

Besides the Mayo Clinic hospital, the University of Minnesota Medical Center, Allina Health Unity Hospital in Fridley and Children’s Hospitals and Clinics in St. Paul are on the list.

"Hospitals have a responsibility to care for our communities and these hospitals stand ready to take a patient today,” said Minnesota Department of Health Commissioner Edward Ehlinger. “Minnesota’s hospitals have worked in a collaborative fashion to ensure a system is in place to handle anything that could happen and the Minnesota Department of Health will work with them closely.”

The plan, which is being implemented in collaboration with the Minnesota Department of Health and other healthcare related providers, includes consultations with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that could result in a patient being transferred to one of four federal bio-containment facilities.

More From 106.9 KROC-FM