The role of resource orchestration in humanitarian operations: a COVID-19 case in the US healthcare

Abstract

This paper investigates the role of resource allocation in alleviating the impact on from disruptions in healthcare operations. We draw on resource orchestration theory and analyse data stemming from US healthcare to discuss how the US healthcare system structured, bundled and reconfigured resources (i.e. number of hospital beds, and vaccines) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Following a comprehensive and robust econometric analysis of two key resources (i.e. hospital beds and vaccines), we discuss its effect on the outcomes of the pandemic measured in terms of confirmed cases and deaths, and draw insights on how the learning curve effect and other factors might influence in the efficient and effective control of the pandemic outcomes through the resource usage. Our contribution lies in revealing how different resources are orchestrated (‘structured’, ‘bundled’, and ‘leveraged’) to help planning responses to and dealing with the disruptions to create resilient humanitarian operations. Managerial implications, limitations and future research directions are also discussed.

Transition to a sustainable food supply chain during disruptions: A study on the Brazilian food companies in the Covid-19 era

“…Few studies have investigated how resources can be better orchestrated to plan for future waves of COVID-19 or similar pandemics and disruptions. Hence, future research should explore how to use resources to develop resilience capabilities to improve supply chains and operations ( Baltas et al, 2022 ).…”

Resource allocation

“…The concepts of triage and resource allocation have existed for perhaps as long as medicine itself; Hippocrates recognized that there are those who were 'overmastered by their disease' and would not benefit from treatment [1]. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and recent global recessions have brought to the forefront of the medical-political discussion the fact that medical resources are finite and have focused a spotlight on fair allocation and prioritization of healthcare resources [2][3][4].…”