Resource Reallocation during the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Suburban Hospital System: Implications for Outpatient Hip and Knee Arthroplasty

The COVID pandemic of 2020 has emerged as a global threat to patients, health care providers, and to the global economy. Owing to this particular novel and highly infectious strain of coronavirus, the rapid community spread and clinical severity of the subsequent respiratory syndrome created a substantial strain on hospitals and health care systems around the world. The rapid surge of patients presenting over a small period for emergent clinical care, admission to the hospital, and intensive care units with many requiring mechanically assisted ventilators for respiratory support demonstrated the potential to overwhelm health care workers, hospitals, and health care systems. The purpose of this article is to describe an effective system for redeployment of health care supplies, resources, and personnel to hospitals within a suburban academic hospital system to optimize the care of COVID patients, while treating orthopedic patients in an equally ideal setting to maximize their surgical and clinical care. This article will provide a particular focus on the current and future role of a specialty hip and knee hospital and its partnering ambulatory surgery center in the context of an outpatient arthroplasty program.