Two Lessons Hospitals Can Learn From Their COVID Response – Medpage Today
— Let’s make some “temporary” responses permanent
by David Nash, MD, MBA, and Mary Ellen Beliveau, MEd
Although hospitals and healthcare systems prepare plans for disasters, such as tsunamis or earthquakes, the onset of COVID last spring revealed many were ill-prepared to mobilize in response to a global pandemic, particularly in the allocation of resources and provider supports. Two vexing challenges, in particular, have emerged: implementing an effective incident command center designed to orchestrate a system-wide, coordinated response to the pandemic; and second, providing just-in-time learning for providers to ensure they have the training, knowledge, and skills necessary to ensure caretaker safety and optimal patient care.