Fighting the Bat in a VUCA world: The Case of the Sheba Medical Center (SMC)

Description:

The outbreak of COVID-19 began in China in November 2019 and spread rapidly around the globe. While its precise long-term effects on economies, workforces, and the lives of individuals around the globe is not yet known, it has clearly changed the face of healthcare systems, especially hospitals, that operate in dynamic complex environments and in most cases under uncertainty and ambiguity. Hospitals are required to demonstrate improvisational skills and devise creative solutions to provide the best care to COVID-19 patients, and not less importantly to respond quickly to medical threats. To be properly prepared for a pandemic, hospitals need to be agile and to have in place a strategy for managing their personnel, medical equipment, space and supplies to ensure that optimum care is provided under such irregular circumstances. Moreover, the involvement of multiple stakeholders compounds the challenge that healthcare systems and hospitals face to operate effectively in a pandemic. The Case Study describes the response measures taken by the Sheba Medical Center (SMC), which successfully managed the challenges of the pandemic through Strategy, Innovation and Leadership.