Optimal Resource and Demand Redistribution for Healthcare Systems Under Stress from COVID-19
When facing an extreme stressor, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare systems typically respond reactively by creating surge capacity at facilities that are at or approaching their baseline capacity. However, creating individual capacity at each facility is not necessarily the optimal approach, and redistributing demand and critical resources between facilities can reduce the total required capacity...
Data shows that this additional load was unevenly distributed between hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic, requiring some to create surge capacity while nearby hospitals had unused capacity. Not only is this inefficient, but it also could lead to a decreased