Summary.
In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Geisinger Health System formally initiated post-crisis planning just days into the pandemic, convening a steering group comprised of leaders from all parts of the organization. The organization realized that this critical work should be viewed and executed as a strategic and operational innovation initiative, not as a damage-mitigation exercise or with the focus solely on restoring revenues. They focused on four stages: 1) Return of non-urgent work, 2) Start of the “new normal,” 3) Post-crisis activity, expanding the “new normal,” and responding to potential second wave of Covid-19, and 4) Operational and economic recovery in a transformed system. The authors argue that, if we are able to transform our nation’s care delivery and payment systems in ways that fundamentally improve health care for our patients, providers, and communities, we will have found the silver lining of Covid-19.In these difficult times, we’ve made a number of our coronavirus articles free for all readers. To get all of HBR’s content delivered to your inbox, sign up for the Daily Alert newsletter.
Covid-19 has upended U.S. health care. At our institution, Geisinger Health System, we rapidly activated emergency response plans and cancelled all non-urgent procedures and clinic visits. Our nonclinical workforce has been shifted to work-from-home and virtual communication with patients has exploded. We have dealt with shortages of personal protective and vital medical equipment for the first time. Geisinger, like nearly all major health care systems, is experiencing negative financial impacts from the pandemic that might ultimately amount to hundreds of millions of dollars. The profound disruption in just 12 weeks of an industry a century in the making is astounding.