One of the greatest challenges in health care – and in generations – is upon us

COVID-19 continues to detrimentally affect every aspect of our healthcare system. Clinicians have been faced with grim life-and-death decisions amid a shortage of critical resources such as ventilators, intensive care unit (ICU) beds, personal protective equipment (PPE), and pharmaceutical treatments.

It is estimated that only 68,400 ICU beds exist for adult patients in the United States, with a similar number of full-featured ventilators.

The disparity between available supply and likely demand is sobering. Rationing of medical resources is a difficult but necessary concept for a health care system overwhelmed during a pandemic.

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