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If you can believe it, it's already been half a decade since Who declared Covid-19 a global pandemic.
Since then, more than 1.2 million people in the US and 7 million people worldwide have died from the virus, according to the CDC. And while the Department of Health and Human Services declared a public health emergency on May 11, 2023, hundreds of people in the United States die from the virus every week, CDC data trackers show.
For the fifth anniversary of the start of the pandemic, executives from across healthcare shared how the public health crisis formed a sector in the industry, the lessons they learned, and how they would respond if a similar crisis were to occur again.
Covid has changed. Joan Fallon, founder and CEO of Curemark, a clinical-stage biopharma company focusing on neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders, said the pandemic has changed pharmaceuticals by slowing research and development.
“For example, when sending out samples for testing, it usually took 5-7 weeks to 2-3 weeks,” she said. “Protocols have been changed, staffing is minimal, and large industrial labs have new precautions and new rules, which have slowed everything down.”
Desiree Gandrup-Dupre, SVP of Information Technology and Care Delivery Technology Services in Oakland, California-based Kaiser Permanente, told Healthcare Brew that he hopes patients will be more willing to use telehealth.
“Patients accept telehealth as an integral part of care, but it is not a replacement for in-person care,” Gundrup Dupres said.
Today, more than 31% of Kaiser's outpatient care visits take place via telehealth, she added.
Brendanker, CEO of New York-based Mount Sinai Health System, reiterated the importance of incorporating technology into patient care.
“The dates for office visits and hospitalization models are dated. There will be massive disruptions over the next decade,” Kerr said.
Lessons learned. New York-based Northwell Health Vice President of Public Health Advocacy (and the first person in the US) said he stressed the need to build public trust in the healthcare system through transparency in the pandemic on healthcare brewing.
It also “stopped the deep inequality that exists throughout our community and revealed that we cannot achieve all health without addressing the social determinants of health,” she said.
Florian Otto, co-founder and CEO of Health Tech Company Cedar, has learned the importance of flexibility and the importance of meeting patients, whether they are using virtual or in-person channels.
“There's more movement right now… from a (patient) financial perspective, they live. They're happy to switch providers now,” Otto said. “The way we interact with each patient is more important,” he added.
Future responses. If a similar crisis occurs in the future, John D'Angelo, Northwell's market president and chief of integrated business, said the first step the health system will take is to ensure there is strong communication between hospitals, labs and public health partners.
Lindsay said she would place a greater emphasis on health equity and make sure that she reaches underserved communities. (The deployment of vaccines to marginalized communities and rural areas was complicated by patient hesitation and mistrust at facilities.)
“If we celebrate lost lives and the sacrifices created during the community pandemic, we must be committed to learning from those painful lessons. In theory, in practice,” she said. “This moment in history has taught us what is possible when we come together. We must move it forward with urgentness and intention.”
