Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic required a collaborative effort of Worcester city officials, including the Division of Public Health, the public schools, the healthcare system, and community groups. Once the public health emergency has ended, it’s critical to reflect on the experience to help the Worcester community identify lessons learned and prepare for any future public health emergencies.
ForHealth Consulting at UMass Chan Medical School’s Health Payment Strategy and Analytics experts recently finalized a report – “Massachusetts Health Council Resiliency Hearing in Worcester Lessons Learned and Best Practices for Emergency Response” – for the Massachusetts Health Council based on a “Resiliency Hearing” held last year in the City of Worcester. Based on the findings, the Massachusetts Health Council recommends that these hearings be an initial step towards collaborative planning and developing a playbook to use as needed in the future.