Role for Graduate Medical Education in the Response to COVID-19 Pandemic in Southeast Michigan Community Health Care...

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Infectious Disease Outbreaks
• Medical Education

Background:

• Michigan reported its first COVID-19 case on March 10, 2020, with Ascension Providence Hospital (APH) admitting the patient.
• Michigan was the third most affected state in March 2020, necessitating a swift response to the pandemic.
• The Department of Graduate Medical Education (GME) joined the APH incident command team to manage the crisis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To share the successful experience of APH in managing the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To provide recommendations for Graduate Medical Education programs on navigating pandemic crises.

Main Methods:

• Formation of an incident command team comprising APH leaders and GME representatives.
• Initiation of a "crisis capacity surge plan" focused on patient care.
• Leadership of the crisis response efforts primarily by GME trainees.

Main Results:

• Successful implementation of a crisis capacity surge plan during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Effective collaboration between hospital leadership and GME to manage patient care.
• Demonstrated leadership and adaptability of GME trainees in a crisis setting.

Conclusions:

• Graduate Medical Education programs can play a crucial role in managing public health crises.
• The "crisis capacity surge plan" at APH proved effective in addressing the pandemic.
• Recommendations are provided for GME to navigate future pandemic scenarios.