Michael Dowling Author Rss

How one NY hospital system treated 128,000+ COVID cases

Michael Dowling — Wed, 03 Feb 2021 11:05:23 +0000

Preparing for a pandemic like COVID-19 was virtually impossible. Northwell Health president and CEO Michael Dowling explains how, as the largest healthcare provider in New York, his team had to continuously organize, innovate, and readjust to dangerous and unpredictable conditions in a way that guaranteed safety for the staff and the best treatment for over 128,000 coronavirus patients.
From making their own supplies when they ran out, to coordinating with government at every level and making sense of new statistics and protocols, Northwell focused on strengthening internal and external communication to keep the ship from sinking.
"There was no such thing as putting up the white flag," Dowling says of meeting the pandemic head on and reassuring his front line staff that they would be safe and have all the resources they needed to beat the virus. "It's amazing how innovative you can be in a crisis."

Leading Through a Pandemic: The Inside Story of Humanity, Innovation, and Lessons Learned During the COVID-19 Crisis List Price: $17.60 New From: $15.52 in Stock Used From: $11.35 in Stock

This story originally appeared on: Big Think - Author:Michael Dowling

How data can defeat the next pandemic

Michael Dowling — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 08:05:11 +0000

This coronavirus pandemic is very much still ongoing, but now is the time to discern its lessons so that we are more prepared for the next one. Michael Dowling, president and CEO of Northwell Health, shares how their health system is collecting and utilizing vast amounts of health data to best care for patients and to quickly identify and manage COVID-19 surges.
"I would say that we probably had the most elaborate dashboard of any health system dealing with this crisis," says Dowling. Northwell Health has also developed a "local surveillance tracking system" which has allowed them to react to COVID spikes early. Dowling hopes that these systems will be adopted by and improved upon by others networks.
In addition to improvements to New York State's illness surveillance system, Dowling hopes to see a more global approach to fighting the pandemic where infection data is tracked shared between nations and warning signs can be acted on early enough to avoid another crisis.

Leading Through a Pandemic: The Inside Story of Humanity, Innovation, and Lessons Learned During the COVID-19 Crisis List Price: $17.60 New From: $15.52 in Stock Used From: $11.35 in Stock

This story originally appeared on: Big Think - Author:Michael Dowling

4 lessons the US learned from the COVID-19 pandemic

Michael Dowling — Tue, 19 Jan 2021 10:05:18 +0000

As the US commences its early stages of COVID-19 vaccinations, Michael Dowling, president and CEO of Northwell Health, argues that now is not the time to relax. "There are lessons to be learned by systems like ours based upon our experience," says Dowling, adding that "we know what these lessons are, and we're working on them."
The four major takeaways that Dowling has identified are that the United States was unprepared and slow to react, that we need a domestic supply chain so that we aren't relying on other countries, that there needs to be more domestic and international cooperation, and that leadership roles in public health must be filled by public health experts.
If and when another pandemic hits (in the hopefully distant future), the country—and by extension the world—will be in a much better place to deal with it.

Learn more about Northwell's pandemic response here.

Leading Through a Pandemic: The Inside Story of Humanity, Innovation, and Lessons Learned During the COVID-19 Crisis List Price: $17.60 New From: $15.52 in Stock Used From: $11.35 in Stock

This story originally appeared on: Big Think - Author:Michael Dowling