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.
Massachusetts can be better prepared for the next public health emergency if it seizes these lessons and continues to plan and coordinate as one united health system.
This means improving emergency response through further training, investments in data infrastructure, and an increased emphasis on health equity. It will require an expansion of emergency response across the whole continuum of care, including hospitals, public health, behavioral health, and non-acute providers. It will need funding and infrastructure that supports healthcare disaster planning, training, exercises, and response. And it will call for innovative strategies to expand, train, and retain our invaluable healthcare workforce.
These efforts can ultimately create an ecosystem that is more nimble, resilient, and equitable than before. As a nexus of coordination for the healthcare community, the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association is committed to helping lead this important work – and we know many of our partners are as well.
Massachusetts has been a leader in healthcare because of its drive to honestly assess its weaknesses, leverage its strengths, and push the boundaries of what the nation thinks is possible. There is perhaps no better opportunity to continue that legacy than by embracing what we have learned during the most critical period in the system’s history.