FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Natalie Bautista-Cruz, surgical tech; Maria Luz Esmeralda RN, ICU nurse; Lara Haddad, PharmD, Pharmacy Clinical Coordinator; Jirani Harris, MRI tech
how a pandemic changed healthcare the state of healthcare and recognizing the heroes on the frontline by Geoff Maleman
The global pandemic has forever changed the way the public views the hospital and healthcare industry, and the industry is attempting to regain its footing and plan for the future. The first known coronavirus patient in the country was seen at Providence Medical Center in Washington on January 21, 2020. The federal government declared the public health emergency 10 days later. The World Health Organization said the novel coronavirus was officially a pandemic on March 11.
Challenges were even more acute on the frontlines of the pandemic, where there were critical shortages of nurses, beds, medical supplies and personal protective equipment. The public began to recognize how important medical workers were and their commitment and dedication to their jobs, even in the face of a life-threatening virus, elevated them to hero status. A year and a half later, hope is beginning to bloom as three coronavirus vaccines have been authorized for emergency use in the United States. As of this writing, 87.5% of Californians have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and distribution is improving every week.
Then Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services suggested hospitals cease elective procedures on March 18 in order to free up space for potential surges of COVID-19 patients.
For the healthcare industry, much has changed, and some of those alterations may be permanent.
There‘s no doubt that it was March of last year when the vast majority of people in the country realized the pandemic was about to change their way of life, at least for a while. Working from home became the norm for those with that ability, stay-at-home orders came down and, eventually, mask mandates started appearing.
Providers have learned a lot over the past year, including how to improve systemwide communications and work on more efficient patient flow strategies. And hospital staff have faced unprecedented levels of stress and burnout, leading to concerns about hiring enough people and keeping them well in the future.
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