Leading Through a Pandemic: The Inside Story of Humanity, Innovation, and Lessons Learned During the COVID-19 Crisis

by Michael J. Dowling, Charles Kenney

"A clarifying must-read in these uncertain times.” —GOVERNOR ANDREW CUOMO Journey behind the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic with Northwell Health, New York’s largest health system. What was it like at the epicenter, inside the health system that cared for more COVID-19 patients than any other in the United States? Leading Through a  The Inside Story of Lessons Learned about Innovation, Leadership, and Humanity During the COVID-19Crisis takes readers inside Northwell Health, New York’s largest health system. From the C-suite to the front lines, the book reports on groundwork that positioned Northwell as uniquely prepared for the pandemic. Two decades ago, Northwell leaders began preparing for disasters—floods, hurricanes, blackouts, viruses, and more based on the belief that "bad things will happen and we have to be ready." Following a course highly unusual for an American health system, Northwell developed one of the most advanced non-government emergency response systems in the country. Northwell reached a point where leaders could confidently say "we are comfortable being uncomfortable in a crisis." But even with sustained preparation, the pandemic stands as a singularly humbling experience. Leading Through a Pandemic offers guidance on how hospitals and health systems throughout the country can prepare more effectively for the next viral threat. The book includes dramatic stories from the front lines at the peak of the viral assault and lessons of what went well, and what did not. The authors draw upon the Northwell experience to prescribe changes in the health care system for next time. Beyond the obvious need for increased stockpiles of supplies and equipment is the far more challenging task of fundamentally changing the culture of American health care to embrace a more robust emergency response capability in hospitals and systems of all sizes across the nation. The book is a must read for health care professionals, policy-makers, journalists, and readers whose curiosity demands a deeper dive into the surreal realm of the coronavirus pandemic.

244 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 25, 2020

About the author

I'm a health care optimist who's excited about trends that are leading US medical care toward greater quality, safety, access and affordability. Visit me on Twitter @michaeljdowling

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and easy to understand. An eye-opening story of the pandemic's attack on the city of New York and how the government, the medical system, the scientists and the citizens came together to deal with the surprising virus that hit the world.

"We had a cadre of physician leaders who did the heroic work of recalculating best practices practically by the hour as we learned about the virus."
"... our teams fought the virus at every turn. It would have helped to have the leader of our country fighting alongside."
"Teamwork is everything, knowing that we will get through this together."

[Annie Pisarello · Rating 3 out of 5]

Northwell Health saw more covid patients then any other health care system in the country. This is the frightening story of how the numbers grew, and what they did to deal with the overwhelming tide, while trying desperately to work up protocols for something which had never been seen before. Heroic work by everyone involved, and an amazing response.

[Robert Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Northwell

I am a Northwell employee and. Was redeployed during the pandemic , not to the ER or ICU but to remote site to reduce my exposure due to my own , health issue . I didn’t ask for this , I was asked if it would be acceptable, I was treated with respect and value .... Thanks Mr.Dowling and theNorthwell team for an excellent place to work and bevalued

[Joel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good contemporary description of converting a large medical system through an incident command structure to handle the needs of patients, staff, and communities as the pandemic hit.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This should be a must read for anyone in the public health/health admin fields. SO many lessons learned thanks to Northwell Health. Kudos.