Enhancing Non-ICU Clinician Capability and ICU Bed Capacity to Manage Pandemic Patient Surge

Regardless of location around the world, intensivists and critical care team members were in short supply prior to the current pandemic. Therefore, the surge of critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) stressed healthcare systems’ supplies of intensivists, critical care teams, and resources including beds. Individual facilities and integrated health systems needed to adapt to the realities of the COVID-19 patient surge while continuing to care for patients not infected with severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in need of acute or critical care. Adaptive approaches included establishing novel intensive care unit (ICU) spaces and training non-ICU clinicians to work with seasoned ICU professionals using a tiered staffing model. Importantly, medical professional organizations played a key role in providing training materials in a free open access medical education (FOAMed) fashion. Early cessation of elective procedures initially provided staff to help care for the surge of acute or critically ill patients. The resumption of usual care while providing COVID-19 patient care has uncovered a need to enhance critical care education and skill competency in a broad range of clinicians to better prepare for the next infectious disease challenge.