Strengthening Hospital Readiness for Future Disasters: Tackling Critical Challenges

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COVID-19 exposed hospital vulnerabilities in surge staffing, critical supply chains, patient distribution, crisis standards of care, and health care coalition coordination.
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Interviews with 69 informants at 10 safety-net hospitals identified these five domains as challenges to resilience and sustained health care delivery.
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The authors attribute preparedness gaps partly to competing financial demands, a false sense of security, and a recurring panic-neglect cycle.
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The authors call for stronger, adequately funded health care coalitions and closer integration of patient safety and quality initiatives with emergency planning.
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The authors recommend prioritizing medical operations coordinating centers to direct patients to facilities with available resources and improve regional information sharing.

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