The commonwealth’s world-class healthcare system will emerge from the pandemic forever changed.
Recognizing this new reality, and the certainty of a future public health emergency, the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association undertook a comprehensive review of the crisis to create the “Better Together” report.
Incorporating responses from 11 topic-specific roundtable discussions, nine one-on-one CEO interviews, four interviews with state leaders, and 127 replies to an accompanying survey, the report contains a set of recommendations on what can be done – starting now – to improve the preparedness and inclusiveness of the system.
Massachusetts is uniquely positioned to prepare and respond to crises
Hospitals, health systems, and state government stepped in wherever needed to address critical public health needs, including COVID-19 testing and vaccination. Amid the chaos, healthcare organizations, the government, and communities came together to adapt and handle the problems in front of them in ways they hadn’t before.
Care delivery will be forever changed
As awareness dawned about COVID-19’s virulence and ease of transmission, care providers had to make quick decisions about human safety and care delivery before anyone knew how the virus worked or how to treat it — and without any vaccine to ward against infection. Still, the surge in cases created enormous capacity problems. Rapid action resulted in positive outcomes and challenges, both of which generated insights for the current crisis and future emergencies.
Healthcare workers are foundational to emergency preparedness and response
Faced with uncertainty about the virus itself and the crushing demand it created, many healthcare professionals risked their own health to keep the delivery system running. The crisis offered lessons about how to lead, communicate, recognize, and tap into staff expertise, as well as the need to respond to the toll this crisis is taking on employees.
Advancing data and analytics is essential
Massachusetts is renowned for its wealth of healthcare data and analysis, with a strong infrastructure in place to regularly collect information from providers. However, even this infrastructure was not designed for the unprecedented data demands of the pandemic.
Resources should not be limiting factors
Massachusetts healthcare providers, like those across the nation, faced a supply crisis that was quick in the making as COVID-19 caseloads surged while the global healthcare supply chain crashed. Healthcare organizations found themselves competing for the same limited resources. But provider organizations put aside competition and began collaborating with each other to share solutions and supplies.
We are better together.
The pandemic, through all its devastation and turmoil, has thrust Massachusetts into the future. And while the crisis is still not over, it has provided the commonwealth with a clear set of critical success factors and pain points that should still demand attention once COVID-19 subsides.
For More Information: communications@mhalink.org
Media Contact: Sam Melnick; smelnick@mhalink.org