At Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, like other institutions, the pandemic spurred innovation. Dr. Harold Paz, CEO of Wexner and executive vice president and chancellor for health affairs at OSU, discusses ways to promote innovation during a crisis.

Patricia Schou, executive director of the Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network and immediate past president of the National Rural Health Association, says rural hospitals will need to get “creative” in a post-pandemic environment.

Vaccine hesitancy continues to be one of the top challenges facing public health officials during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite some national education campaigns, the task of convincing skeptical patients and staff to get vaccinated has largely fallen on local providers.

Millions of Texans were left without electricity and water after an ice storm swept through the state in mid-February. The Houston Methodist system was in the thick of it all, contending with everything from crowded emergency departments to quickly standing up a vaccination event.

Throughout 2020, healthcare organizations were forced to turn inward to help staff not only confront the stress related to a global pandemic, but also issues around social injustice. At Novant Health, leaders were able to quickly build on existing work to get new resources to staff.

Dr. Patrick Hwu wants to make Moffitt a leader in cell therapy. The Tampa, Fla., system is also studying how COVID-19 vaccines impact cancer patients.

At the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, 90% of staff have gotten their first shot. Suresh Gunasekaran, CEO of the Iowa City-based system, talks about what’s worked.

Dr. Joseph Kerschner, immediate past chair of Association of American Medical Colleges’ board of directors, talks about ways medical schools are tackling structural racism and unconscious bias, as well as burnout due to the coronavirus pandemic.

As a Biden administration takes shape, Federation of American Hospitals President and CEO Chip Kahn hopes Democrats and Republicans can “return to normalcy and civility” and address the health and economic toll of the pandemic.

Arkansas is experiencing some of the highest rates of COVID-19 cases in the country. At the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, the situation has forced leaders to look at different ways of deploying nurses, including a greater reliance on team-based care.

Mount Sinai Health System last May became one of the first providers in the nation to open a COVID recovery clinic. Dr. Kenneth Davis, president and CEO of the New York-based health system, shares key lessons learned from caring for these patients.

Beyond the staggering number of cases and deaths, the coronavirus pandemic is exacerbating a crisis in mental health, with millions of Americans reporting that they are anxious, depressed and feeling isolated. But increased awareness of mental health issues may result in better care in the long run, according to Mark Ganz, CEO of  Cambia Health Solutions.

Dr. Steven Corwin, CEO of New York-Presbyterian, about ways leaders can help keep morale up and try to prevent staff burnout.

Sanford Health CEO Kelby Krabbenhoft late last week said he didn't need to wear a mask because he is immune from contracting or transmitting COVID-19 since he tested positive.

Martin Bonick took over as CEO of the Nashville health system in mid-August. He says the organization has benefited from sharing ideas across markets and it has become more nimble while confronting the pandemic.