The Way Forward

Abstract

The optimal rollout of an effective vaccine will depend upon correcting the flaws in our healthcare system laid bare during the pandemic. Public health must be prioritized and the CDC and WHO provided with the resources to work effectively, devoid of political interference. Healthcare inequities must be tended to, racism acknowledged and erased. Every American has the right to affordable healthcare. The care of the elderly must be rethought and rehumanized. Primary care should be the fulcrum of the US healthcare system with reimbursement based on value. Preventative, rather than reactive, healthcare, employing team collaboration with adequate mental health resources, and reaching across arbitrary boundaries, is essential. The pandemic has raised awareness of healthcare worker safety and well-being, an essential goal for hospitals. Physicians, scientists and all HCWs must rely on science and speak out against misinformation.