A surge of COVID-19 patients: projecting, planning, managing

The coronavirus pandemic is the largest health challenge ever faced by Kaiser Permanente. But we are confident we can overcome it because of our people; their commitment to improving the health of our members and the communities we serve; and the “flattening the curve” measures we have all been taking. In the coming days and weeks, we expect a medical surge to begin: a significantly increased volume of patients that challenges or exceeds a hospital system’s normal capacity. Thousands of our dedicated people have been working diligently to plan for the surge, and we are now implementing those plans. Ed Ellison, MD, executive medical director, Southern California Permanente Medical Group, and Julie Miller-Phipps, president, Kaiser Permanente Southern California Health Plan and Hospitals discuss these plans in this brief video update.