To provide decision makers with a snapshot of hospitals' challenges and needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) conducted a national survey between March 23 and March 27. Brief phone interviews with administrators from a random national sample of 323 hospitals revealed widespread shortages of testing supplies and personal protective equipment, and challenges maintaining adequate staffing. Strategies used to mitigate these conditions included seeking supplies from non-traditional sources; training hospitalists, anesthesiologists and nurses to care for patients on ventilators; providing hotel accommodations and other services to help staff isolate from family; and setting up temporary care facilities in dorms, fairgrounds and other unoccupied spaces. (HHS OIG news release, 4/3/20)
