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?:abstract
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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic presented unprecedented challenges to the New York City Health + Hospitals (NYC H+H) system. Besides ramping up capacity and adapting operations quickly to handle the patient surge, NYC H+H had to find new ways to provide emotional and psychological support for patients, families, and staff. To help families keep in touch, dedicated staff provided daily updates by phone and used tablets for virtual visits. An expanded palliative care team held virtual consultations with families to discuss advance care planning and end-of-life decisions. Bereavement hotlines were set up for families who lost loved ones. Enhanced staff support included one-one-one and group sessions with behavioral health specialists, a behavioral health hotline, a webinar series, respite rooms, as well as complimentary lodging and child care. NYC H+H created new rituals to celebrate recoveries and mourn losses. As regular operations resume, NYC H+H plans to sustain and build upon emotional and psychological support initiatives developed during the surge. [Editor\'s Note: This Fast Track Ahead Of Print article is the accepted version of the manuscript. The final edited version will appear in an upcoming issue of Health Affairs.].
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