Can High-Reliability Organization Principles Help Transform Healthcare Delivery in the U.S.?

U.S. Healthcare Delivery: At A Systemic and Operational Crossroads?

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the myriad operational vulnerabilities in the U.S. healthcare system. Within a matter of weeks, hospitals and health systems were overwhelmed with an influx of COVID-19 patients and were forced to make difficult decisions in prioritizing limited resources. A significant challenge for many hospitals and health systems was a lack of visibility to patient flow and available capacity within individual hospitals and across integrated health systems. Coupled with a lack of established collaboration across shared geographic regions, healthcare organizations struggled to load balance patients with available staffing and resources. The pandemic highlighted an opportunity for the U.S. healthcare system to become more efficient and effective in delivering care during times of public health crises and beyond.