In June, we traveled to Fajardo, Puerto Rico to attend the annual convention for the territory’s College of Health Services Administrators, known as CASS. After our keynote presentation on how administrators and clinicians can convene to improve value for the patients and communities they serve, we had the opportunity to sit down with a group of health care leaders from around the island to discuss their experiences during the pandemic. With over 95% of the population receiving at least one dose of the vaccine – and nearly 84% fully vaccinated – we were interested in learning how Puerto Rico had been so successful at mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the course of a wide-ranging conversation, five themes arose that shed light onto their success.
Vaccines and masks were not politicized. Puerto Ricans quickly recognized the ticket to returning to normal life was to wear a mask and get a COVID-19 vaccine. When vaccines became available, a vast majority of health care professionals quickly got vaccinated, which instilled a sense of trust. All of this was accomplished without politicizing the issue. Even now, people continue to voluntarily mask in public places.
Community stakeholders were engaged from the start. Puerto Rico took a community-based approach to mitigating the impact o …
Digging into the Reasons for Puerto Rico’s Successful COVID-19 Response | AHA News – American Hospital Association
