A Canary in a COVID Coal Mine: Building Better Healthcare Biopreparedness Policy. Issue 3 (7th August 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Popescu, Saskia
• Other Names: McNeely Connie L. guestEditor.; Schintler Laurie A. guestEditor.
• Is Part Of: World medical & health policy. Volume 12:Issue 3(2020)
• Page Start: 223
• Page End: 227
• Publication Date: 2020-08-07
• Subjects: biopreparedness -- hospitals -- regulatory oversight; Medical policy -- Periodicals; 362.1
• DOI: 10.1002/wmh3.353
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2153-2028

Abstract

Abstract : The SARS‐CoV‐2/COVID‐19 pandemic has been devastating to the U.S. health‐care system and sheds light on gaps in preparedness and response to biological threats. From limited personal protective equipment to staffing issues, hospitals are struggling to respond to the novel coronavirus outbreak. Unfortunately, hospital biopreparedness is a product of prioritization for hospital leadership and either exists or is neglected. Federal efforts to enhance health‐care readiness have done little to drive true change across the U.S. health‐care infrastructure. From optional efforts like the tiered hospital approach to special pathogens to the regulatory rule from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, federal efforts to build a resilient health‐care infrastructure against biological threats are woefully inadequate and dependent upon hospital leadership priorities. The COVID‐19 pandemic has revealed a need to implement regulatory requirements on health‐care facilities to invest in continued preparedness for biological events.