We recently reached a milestone: 1,000 days since a Maryland hospital admitted our state’s first patient for COVID-19. Looking back on these past nearly three years, the immense toll of this pandemic—on our workforce, our hospitals, and the people we serve—has yet to be fully revealed. It may be some time before we understand the effects on everything from health equity and behavioral health to education and population health.

While a few results are still being tallied, it’s clear Maryland had a historic election. The statewide elected office winners are the most diverse ever. They include: Maryland’s first Black Governor-elect Wes Moore; Lieutenant Governor-elect Aruna Miller, the first woman of color and first immigrant elected to statewide office in Maryland; Brooke Lierman as our state’s first female Comptroller; and Anthony Brown as our first Black Attorney General.

As we head into flu and respiratory illness season, already there are record numbers of patients overflowing emergency departments and pediatric ICUs. We’re likely to continue to feel the strain throughout the fall and winter, particularly if we see another cold-weather COVID spike. We aim to help you preserve limited resources and peoplepower for the sickest patients—those who truly need hospital care.

Everyone deserves the opportunity to achieve optimal health—regardless of social, economic, or racial/ethnic differences. Yet, longstanding health disparities persist in Maryland and nationwide. MHA and Maryland hospitals and health systems committed to address these inequities. We are encouraged by promising efforts here—such as measures to help caregivers recognize and overcome implicit bias—and across the country.