5 steps to responding to a crisis: COVID-19’s impact on healthcare

Overnight, COVID-19 dramatically changed the way we live, work, and interact with each other. As various parts of the country have slowly reopened, the continued spread of COVID-19 requires hospitals to be “on the ready” across much of the United States. This guide provides five steps hospitals and health systems can take to respond to the current crisis while laying the groundwork for the “new normal” and support for the next crises that could arise.

As COVID-19 emerged, hospitals and health systems temporarily shut down or suspended elective procedures. While many of us were asked to shelter-in-place or practice social distancing for extended periods, essential employees could not. Provider organizations needed to not only respond, but also plan for any eventuality.