One Year Changes Everything: Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic (so far) By Kristy Bondurant
T
he COVID-19 pandemic rapidly changed U.S. health care systems’ policies and procedures, challenging administrators, clinicians, patients, and families. In March 2020, following the World Health Organization’s (WHO) designation of the COVID-19 pandemic, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson declared a disaster and public health emergency in the state. Schools and non-essential businesses closed their doors and elective medical procedures were put on hold so hospitals could most readily meet the needs of COVID-19 patients. As of June 2021, more than 33 million cases have been identified in the U.S., and more than 600,000 deaths recorded. 1 In Arkansas alone, 343,000 cases are officially 54 SUMMER 2021 | ARKANSAS HOSPITALS
identified, with more than 5,800 deaths recorded.2
A CONCISE TIMELINE
Cases in Arkansas increased slowly during the spring and summer of 2020, but during the fall and winter, hospitalizations increased to a critical level. Hospitals throughout the state converted non-clinical areas into temporary clinical units so that more patients could receive care, they worked together regionally to share data and resources, and they somehow found the space and staff necessary to meet the onslaught of those suffering with COVID-19. There are not enough words to express how hospital staff in every position gave their all to keep
patients as comfortable as possible. Doctors, nurses, other clinicians, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, social workers, housekeepers, maintenance experts, cafeteria workers, EMTs and paramedics, front office staff, administrators – in reality, every hospital worker at every single level – kept up a relentless pace for months on end to compassionately care for the sick. When available hospital beds were few and far between, hospitals implemented new policies and procedures, increased staffing, and built additional capacity to care for more Arkansans. The state supported hospitals’ activities by monitoring and helping coordinate hospital bed availability through COVIDComm, a program that helped identify
