Why the industry was ill-prepared for a pandemic and what changes could come
April 2, 2020 / ALEX KACIK
Some states are considering converting jails into healthcare facilities. Convention centers and college dorms are being retrofitted while shuttered hospitals are being reopened. Retired doctors and nurses are rejoining the workforce. Hotel rooms are housing patients who just need isolation. Telemedicine is becoming vital.
Healthcare has adapted quickly to match the unprecedented scale of the COVID-19 pandemic. And while frontline workers have persevered, the virus has exposed the industry’s vulnerabilities. But COVID-19 also presents an opportunity to permanently shape how healthcare providers prepare for the worst-case scenario.
“If we don’t do something significant to bend the curve, we will be considerably above capacity,” said David Deaton, chair of O’Melveny’s healthcare law practice.
As they brace for an expected wave of patients, industry observers point to healthcare policies, mindsets and behaviors that contributed to a global crisis. And perhaps addressing one of the most persistent problems—minimal investment in the country’s public health infrastructure—can help mitigate future disasters, experts urged.
“We are spending $3.6 trillion on healthcare, there is no reason why we couldn’t have adequate stockpiles of essential equipment,” said Harold Pollack, a professor at the University of Chicago, adding that bolstering public health typically isn’t the most compelling cause. “This is not the worst problem we are going to face. With issues like climate change, other possible pandemics, we have to be ready. And we are not.”
