The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is one of the central organizations in the state, responsible for developing a response plan for the COVID-19 pandemic. A response to such a global crisis is challenging since the HHS, or any other organization did not have a similar experience in the past. The planning project initiated in this paper will analyze how HHS developed a plan for addressing COVID-19. This paper will analyze the Dept. of Health Planning Committee meetings to analyze this Department’s response to COVID-19 and provide recommendations.
The Department of Health Planning Committee meetings aimed to connect the federal partners and state organizations in the face of the global pandemic. For example, on September 9th and 10th, the HHS held a meeting to discuss the impact that COVID-19 has on antimicrobial resistance (US Department of Health & Human Services, 2019). Also, the HHS members discussed the mortality rates and their association with secondary infections, and the effect that the pandemic had on agriculture in the United States. Other topics include the changes that the long-term care will face due to COVID-19 and the action plan, such as developing new antibiotics. Hence, this meeting showcases that the HHS is concerned with the impact that this pandemic will have on the healthcare system in the state and an adverse impact on agriculture. The impact on the global value chains and food safety is an essential issue that may disturb the supply of food in the state, and it appears that the HHS recognizes this risk.
Currently, HHS responds to the pandemic by collaborating with other agencies and allocating funds to aid providers and for medication development for COVID-19. First and foremost, the HHS informs that under the Cares Act, $175 billion will be allocated to the relief fund for the providers (US Department of Health & Human Services, 2019). Moreover, the Department actively advocates for the use of telehealth, points out the potential implications of the pandemic for people’s mental health, and provides support for organizations that work on developing either a vaccine or treatment options. In general, the HHS responded well to the virus and addressed the core aspects, including the support of providers that will experience additional burden due to testing and increased number of patients, and the agricultural industry. Moreover, the funding provided to develop treatment is a vital element of the response plan, since previous measures taken by the government do not appear to be effective.
A recommendation for this Department is to dedicate more time and effort towards examining the economic impact of the pandemic since it will affect people’s ability to obtain treatment, testing, and mental health. The loss of jobs, in particular, is a serious problem caused by the restrictions that aimed to protect the citizens from the spread of this virus.
Overall, this paper initiated a planning project analyzing the response to COVID-19 from the HHS. The organization responded by allocating funds to support providers and the additional expenses associated with the pandemic. Moreover, HHS assists in providing testing opportunities and telehealth services to people who have COVID-19. Finally, the Department is actively engaged in developing a vaccine or a treatment for the condition. Based on the assessment and the current development of the pandemic, the recommendation is to dedicate more attention to addressing the economic impact on healthcare and citizens.
Reference
US Department of Health & Human Services. September 9-10, 2020 virtual public meeting – Antimicrobial resistance and COVID-19. Web.