Opinion: We stress tested banks in 2009. We need to do the same thing now for U.S. hospital systems
Following the market turmoil after the failure of Lehman Brothers in the fall of 2008, the Federal Reserve Board began conducting “stress tests” in 2009 to make sure the banking system could endure the financial crisis. In a similar fashion, we need to stress test the U.S. hospital system to guarantee it can survive ongoing waves of coronavirus outbreaks and future pandemics.
Like the banking system in 2009, hospitals across the U.S. could be pushed to the brink of collapse as surges of Covid-19 cases take resources away from the usual medical services that keep such facilities afloat.
