HAP Blog

I think many of us in the emergency management field had more “never saw that before” moments than we thought we’d experience during our entire careers, let alone during one year. It’s a humbling reminder of the importance of the work we do.

When I think of situational awareness, I think of learning to drive and the instructor’s reminder to scan the rear view mirrors every five to eight seconds. When you lose sight of the road—to answer a text or reach for your E-ZPass—you’re losing awareness of your environment and your ability to react quickly. Situational awareness is the bedrock principle of emergency preparedness that never goes out of style.

Nearly two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, Pennsylvania is under siege by another surge in hospitalizations. For perspective, close to an additional 1,050 patients now require hospitalization for COVID since Thanksgiving and nearly 190 of them are in intensive care units. This is a 30 percent increase in hospital beds for COVID-19 patients in the past two weeks alone.

Winter is coming.

No, not just the ominous metaphor from “Game of Thrones”; literally, winter is coming for us.

Hospitals all over the nation are juggling dozens of challenges at once, with inpatient units near capacity and emergency departments often overcrowded. We’re maintaining everyday operations while trying to stay ahead of a novel virus. Then, there are the staffing shortages.

We know what supply chain disruptions mean for health care facilities. Early during 2020, our supply chain headaches complicated our efforts to combat a novel virus, as everyday items like masks, gloves, and gowns became precious resources, and we struggled to source ventilators and other essential medical equipment needed for patient care.