Hospital Management in Times of COVID-19: A Historical Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70577/r61j4z93Keywords:
Hospital management, Pandemics, Hospital organization, Public health administrationAbstract
The COVID-19 pandemic presented an unprecedented challenge to hospital systems worldwide. This study analyzes the hospital management strategies implemented during the health crisis, with an emphasis on organizational resilience, resource allocation, and leadership competencies. A narrative review of 21 scientific articles indexed in specialized databases and published between 2020 and 2024 was conducted. The findings reveal that hospitals applied the "4S" framework (staff, stuff, space, systems) with mixed results. Dynamic capabilities and organizational resilience proved to be more decisive factors than conventional emergency response capacity. Adaptive leadership, transparent communication, and flexible decision-making were essential competencies. Healthcare institutions faced critical resource constraints, healthcare staff burnout, and the dilemma of simultaneously caring for COVID-19 patients while maintaining other healthcare services. Future hospital preparedness requires adaptive leadership, robust communication systems, and effective regional coordination mechanisms.
Downloads
References
Bergeron, F., Denis, J. L., Belzile, L., Lapointe, L., Ruta, D., Lambert, M., Lagacé, C., Cyr, G., Leduc, J. M., & Pomey, M. P. (2023). Hospital resilience to the COVID-19 pandemic in five countries: A multiple case study. *Healthcare Policy, 18*(4), 27-47. https://doi.org/10.12927/hcpol.2023.27089
Castelyn, L. (2024). Leadership in healthcare during a pandemic: For a systems leadership approach. *Frontiers in Public Health, 12*, 1413234. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1413234
Garavand, A., Ameri, F., Salehi, F., Hajipour Talebi, A., Karbasi, Z., & Sabahi, A. (2024). A systematic review of health management mobile applications in COVID-19 pandemic: Features, advantages, and disadvantages. *Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 2024*, 8814869. https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/8814869
Guo, J., Jiang, S., Chen, Y., Sun, Y., Huang, J., Jin, Q., Guo, L., & Luo, X. (2025). Location planning, resource reallocation and patient assignment during a pandemic considering the needs of ordinary patients. *Health Care Management Science, 28*(1), 46-73. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10729-024-09692-0
Jääski, T., Talvio, H., Kuha, S., & Kanste, O. (2024). Crisis management competencies needed in a hospital setting during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study of nurse leaders. *Nursing Open, 11*(3), e2138. https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.2138
Kija, E., & Naidoo, A. V. (2024). Resilience and preparedness of hospitals for pandemics: Lessons learned from COVID-19. *Jamba, 16*(2), 1804. https://doi.org/10.4102/jamba.v16i2.1804
Mazzitelli, F., Esposito, A., Limongelli, G., Maglione, M., Mauro, C., Mauro, F., Palmiero, G., Vecchione, C., & Pacileo, G. (2023). Navigating a pandemic: Leadership dynamics and challenges within infection prevention and control units in Israel. *Healthcare (Basel), 11*(22), 2986. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11222986
Meredith, J. W., High, K. P., & Freischlag, J. A. (2020). Preserving elective surgeries in the COVID-19 pandemic and the future. *JAMA, 324*(17), 1725-1726. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2020.19594
Mohammadinia, L., Saadatmand, V., Khaledi Sardashti, H., Darabi, S., Esfandiary Bayat, F., Rejeh, N., Tadrisi, S. D., & Vaismoradi, M. (2023). Hospital response challenges and strategies during COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study. *Frontiers in Public Health, 11*, 1167411. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1167411
Mwangi, L. W., Macharia, W., Wachira, B. W., Kimeu, J., Mativa, B., & Atwoli, L. (2024). Role of hospital leadership in pandemic preparedness: Experience at a tertiary hospital in Kenya during the COVID-19 pandemic. *BMJ Leader, 8*(2), 111-118. https://doi.org/10.1136/leader-2023-000801
Osti, T., Valz Gris, A., Corona, V. F., Villani, L., D'Ambrosio, F., Lomazzi, M., Causio, F. A., Calabrò, G. E., Waure, C., & Ricciardi, W. (2024). Role of hospital leadership in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. *BMJ Leader, 8*(2), 174-182. https://doi.org/10.1136/leader-2023-000828
Pascarella, G., Strumia, A., Pilego, C., Bruno, F., Del Buono, R., Costa, F., Scarlata, S., & Agrò, F. E. (2020). COVID-19 diagnosis and management: A comprehensive review. *Journal of Internal Medicine, 288*(2), 192-206. https://doi.org/10.1111/joim.13091
Ravaghi, H., Khalil, M., Al-Badri, J., Naidoo, A. V., Ardalan, A., & Khankeh, H. (2023). Role of hospitals in recovery from COVID-19: Reflections from hospital managers and frontliners in the Eastern Mediterranean Region on strengthening hospital resilience. *Frontiers in Public Health, 10*, 1073809. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.1073809
Reich, D. L., & Weiner, M. M. (2021). Lessons learned from COVID-19 resource management at a New York hospital. *Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia, 35*(5), 1271-1273. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.jvca.2021.01.013
Rosenbäck, R., & Eriksson, K. M. (2024). COVID-19 healthcare success or failure? Crisis management explained by dynamic capabilities. *BMC Health Services Research, 24*(1), 759. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-11203-9
Salim, N., Chan, W. H., Mansor, S., Mohd Bazin, N. E., Mohd Amaran, S., Faudzi, A. A. M., Zainal, A., & Huspi, S. H. (2023). Strategies, challenges and opportunities in the implementation of COVID-19 field hospitals: A scoping review. *BMJ Open, 13*(3), e066313. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-066313
Sriharan, A., Hertelendy, A. J., Banaszak-Holl, J., Fleig-Palmer, M. M., Mitchell, C., Nigam, A., Gutberg, J., & Ratnapalan, S. (2022). Public health and health sector crisis leadership during pandemics: A review of the medical and business literature. *Medical Care Research and Review, 79*(4), 475-486. https://doi.org/10.1177/10775587211039201
Szkudlarek, D., Gębarowski, T., Hauzer, N., & Wiatrak, B. (2022). Associations between the COVID-19 pandemic and hospital infrastructure adaptation and planning—A scoping review. *International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19*(14), 8393. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph1914839
Tolotti, A., Liptrott, S. J., Bonetti, L., Cavatorti, S., Sari, D., Caoduro, L., Palese, A., & Saiani, L. (2024). Managing the COVID-19 pandemic: Experience of managers in healthcare: A narrative inquiry. *Healthcare (Basel), 12*(4), 447. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12040447
Van Dijk, J. L., Hulscher, M. E. J. L., Kluijtmans, M., Hesselink, G., & Raven, W. (2024). How well prepared are hospitals for future crises? Board members perceive their hospitals as resilient for acute crises. *BMC Health Services Research, 24*(1), 754. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-11190-x
Wood, R. M., McWilliams, C. J., Thomas, M. J., Bourdeaux, C. P., & Vasilakis, C. (2021). Balancing scarce hospital resources during the COVID-19 pandemic using discrete-event simulation. *Health Care Management Science, 24*(2), 356-374. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10729-021-09548-
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Jesus Enrique Reyes Acevedo, Ronal Atilio Arevalo Montalvan, Roberto Alejandro Pacheco Robles, Yuli Novak Ormeño Torres, María Elena Tello Macahuachi (Autor/a)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
- Attribution — You must give appropriate credit , provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made . You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
- NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes .
- ShareAlike — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original.
- No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.






