Rethinking Surge Preparedness After COVID-19: Effective Patient Load Balancing Within Health Systems and Beyond.

Within weeks of New York State's first confirmed case of COVID-19, New York City became the epicenter of the nation's COVID-19 pandemic. With more than 80,000 COVID-19 hospitalizations during the first wave alone, hospitals in downstate New York were forced to adapt existing procedures to manage the surge and care for patients facing a novel disease. Given the unprecedented surge, effective patient load balancing-moving patients from a hospital with diminishing capacity to another hospital within the same health system with relatively greater capacity-became chief among the capabilities required of New York health systems.

Comparing Training Techniques in Personal Protective Equipment Use.

Introduction: Physicians' management of hazardous material (HAZMAT) incidents requires personal protective equipment (PPE) utilization to ensure the safety of victims, facilities, and providers; therefore, providing effective and accessible training in its use is crucial. While an emphasis has been placed on the importance of PPE, there is debate about the most effective training methods. Circumstances may not allow for a traditional in-person demonstration; an accessible video training may provide a useful alternative.