Yesterday, White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, and U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy met with health system and hospital leaders to discuss the importance of acting aggressively this fall to protect their patients, health care workers, and communities from COVID-19 and the flu.
Administration officials conveyed that while our nation has made tremendous progress on COVID-19, there is more work to do ahead of the winter, when contagious diseases like COVID-19 and flu can spread more quickly. Administration officials emphasized that there have been major surges in COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths the last two winters, which strained the health care workforce and hospitals, but that it does not have to be this way this year if everyone does their part and uses the lifesaving tools we now have, including updated COVID-19 vaccines, flu vaccines, and highly-effective treatments for COVID-19. The discussion focused on steps hospitals and health systems can take to help ensure all Americans, including health care workers, get their updated COVID-19 vaccine this fall, and encourage people to get tested and seek treatment when they get sick—steps that will save lives, reduce burden on the health care system, minimize disruptions to daily life, and help the U.S. effectively manage COVID-19. The meeting also included a discussion on the Administration’s gratitude to frontline health care workers for their heroic efforts in fighting COVID-19, as well as the physical, emotional and mental toll the virus has had on America’s health care workforce, and the importance of tackling health care worker burnout.
Meeting Participants
- Greg Adams, Chair and CEO, Kaiser Permanente
- Dr. Gianrico Farrugia, President and CEO, Mayo Clinic
- John Haupert, President and CEO, Grady Health System
- Sam Hazen, CEO, HCA Healthcare
- Joe Impicciche, CEO, Ascension
- Dr. Mitchell Katz, President and CEO, NYC Health + Hospitals
- Dr. Tom Mihaljevic, President and CEO, Cleveland Clinic
- Rick Pollack, President and CEO, American Hospital Association
- Dr. Bruce Siegel, President and CEO, America’s Essential Hospitals
- Kate Walsh, President and CEO, Boston Medical Center
