The spread of the coronavirus across the United States did more than expose the nation’s health system’s challenge in responding to a pandemic. It revealed a deficiency in the planning of the physical infrastructure that left organizations unable to pivot operations in a manner that didn’t threaten the integrity of the organization. To protect staff and individuals coming to their facilities from the possible spread of the virus and to conserve supplies, organizations were forced to close revenue-generating operations.
From surge capacity to staff health and wellness, the stress caused by the pandemic seemed to be amplified by a master planning process that didn’t accommodate scenarios outside the normal range. To make organizations more resilient, both operationally and financially, the planning process must change so that the physical demands of a health crisis don’t adversely impact an organization’s ability to meet the demands for community health, overall. Structured to identify future operational needs under a variety of conditions, Scenario Planning reveals opportunities to shape campuses and facilities for both normal and divergent operations.
