Five years ago, the onset of COVID-19 spurred top-to-bottom change in the health care industry: yielding unprecedented innovation while exposing systematic shortcomings. The dust is finally settling enough to reflect on how far we've come—and assess the distance left to travel.
The pandemic uprooted every aspect of health care, starkly dividing pre-COVID and post-COVID operations. In some areas, it catalyzed necessary changes and spurred lasting innovation. In others, it led to deficits that health systems are still working to overcome 5 years later.
What are our greatest achievements since 2020, and where have we fallen short? Which pandemic-era lessons must we remember moving forward?