COVID-19 has caused a global upheaval, and healthcare leaders still face unforeseen challenges. Recent discussions have highlighted the importance of proactive planning and preparedness in managing any healthcare crisis.
Mike Hamilton, Lumifi, said it best: “When your house is burning, the last thing you want to do is read the manual for the extinguisher.” The need for accessible and predetermined protocols is evident.
The panelists stressed the importance of building trust with stakeholders and improving organizational reputation in order to effectively manage crises. In times of crisis, strong relationships enable healthcare providers to show their value and commitment towards patients and partners.
Chris Berger Senior Vice President for Communications, Advocate Health said, “In a crisis, you don’t build relationships, but rather, your existing relationships will be tested.” Further, Berger added how important it is to have open and flexible communication when you are in a situation of crisis.
Robert Pearl (former CEO of Kaiser Permanente, clinical professor of Stanford University School of Medicine and Stanford Graduate School of Business) pointed out the difficulty of accurately predicting a crisis. To be successful, you must have trust in the leadership of your organization and an established strategy. Moreover, he suggested “knowing your values” for quick and efficient responses.
Press Ganey’s Dr. Amy Compton Phillips stressed the need to cultivate a culture of “high reliability.” It is important that every member of an organization understands how to manage risk and minimize harm. The key elements of the long tail include creating a safer patient environment, mitigating conditions acquired in hospitals and conducting proactive risk assessments.
Andy Puterbaugh highlighted the need for a well-understood “activation process”, and to be able to “triage” problems effectively when they arise. It is important to have clear communication, and allocate resources effectively.
Experts on the panel also described their own experiences with major crises. They explained how they made decisions in leadership. Dr. Pearl recalled a situation in which the hospital lost power after an earthquake and the wall cracked under pressure. In the moment, a strategic decision was needed. It should have been aligned to patient safety. He responded by evacuating around 100 patients using an unrelated, predetermined plan.
Hamilton stated that, “Investment should be directed more towards detection and recovery than prevention” when it comes to resilience against cybersecurity threats. The most common methods of attack are social engineering, credential misuse, and vulnerabilities exploited. Hamilton encouraged healthcare systems to implement strict policies on credentialing, train staff in security awareness and enforce personal use only.
Discussions also focused on the impact healthcare has and the deep relationship it has with the political climate. Dr. Pearl said that “nearly everything that will impact our country won’t affect medicine.” Centers for Medicare Medicaid Service’s data highlights that this is also reflected in health care sector economics, which accounts for over 17% of U.S. Gross Domestic Product.
Compton-Phillips responded to a question from the audience about bird flu and possible pandemics by saying that there is “a lot we can learn” from COVID. Addressing bird flu, she further elaborated that “I would put that into the ‘known-unknown’ category of what we can do to prepare.” She assured the audience that hospitals are better equipped to prepare with regard to vaccines, personal protective gear, and isolation protocols.