David Marcozzi, MD, chief medical officer of Baltimore-based University of Maryland Medical Center, told NPR about hospital capacity, crisis preparedness and building resilient health systems Jan. 1.
He started by discussing the "perfect storm" of workforce issues that is persisting into the new year. Dr. Marcozzi described the exhaustion and frustration of healthcare workers that is driving some to leave the profession. The most recent COVID-19 surge also saw many staff have to self-isolate and stay away from the hospital, creating staffing challenges.
Ensuring capacity of resources and staff is a challenge most health systems are dealing with currently, and University of Maryland Medical Center is no different. Dr. Marcozzi spoke about the importance of crisis planning.
"When we're not in crisis, we should not forget that we need to weave in concepts of resiliency and preparedness into daily delivery of care, so that we're better prepared when we do have crises like these," he told NPR.