Synopsis

The COVID-19 pandemic wrought unprecedented challenges for healthcare workers. Initial goals focused on the urgency of COVID-19 while delaying non-essential care, and ensuring the safety of staff, conserving PPE. As the pandemic wore on, we pivoted to caring for all patients – particularly those who deferred medical attention – in an already maximally stressed healthcare system. The blurring of work and home life, social isolation, shared grief, childcare/eldercare stresses, and superimposed racial strife has left our healthcare workforce exhausted and burned out. We must leverage lessons learned from this pandemic to reimagine healthcare systems.