Applying triage principles of mass casualty events to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: From the perspective of the acute care surgeons at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in the COVID epicenter of the United States

Abstract

Northwell Health, a 23-hospital, not-for-profit enterprise in New York, is located at the epicenter of the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.1–3 As an entity, Northwell Health serves a large portion of New York City and Long Island. Of its 2 flagship tertiary care academic medical centers, Long Island Jewish Hospital (LIJ) is a 583-bed teaching hospital located in Queens, NY, providing care to the eastern area of the borough and serving one of the most diverse populations in the United States.