Preparing for large-scale events like FIFA starts long before the crowds arrive

When people think about large-scale events such as international sporting tournaments, concerts, political gatherings, or other major public events, they often focus on the logistics visible to attendees: transportation, security, crowd management, and hospitality.

But health systems see a different side of the equation.

An influx of visitors can create different patterns of demand across the system: Heat-related illnesses can increase during outdoor events, emergency departments may experience higher patient volumes, and transportation challenges can affect access to care. While these scenarios may vary in scale, they provide health systems with an opportunity to assess whether the right plans, partnerships, and resources are in place to respond effectively.

Resiliency is a regional effort

One of the most important lessons from large-scale event planning is that no health system operates in isolation.

As host communities prepare for events such as the FIFA World Cup (which will impact 11 cities across the U.S.), much of the resiliency planning happens behind the scenes through collaboration among hospitals, public agencies, healthcare providers, and regional emergency preparedness organizations. These groups often work together to develop coordinated response plans that address questions such as:

• Which facilities will serve as primary trauma centers?
• How will patients be distributed across the region if volumes surge?
• What communication channels will be used during an emergency?
• What resources may experience increased demand?

This level of coordination helps health systems respond more effectively to large-scale events or disasters by establishing clear, transparent communication channels and defined roles, responsibilities, logistics, and contingency plans. It also can make a significant difference when circumstances change quickly—and they often do.

Understanding where demand may increase

While every event and disruption presents unique challenges, certain categories of products and supplies consistently become more important during periods of elevated demand, including:

• IV fluids
• Sedatives and analgesics
• Vasopressors
• Respiratory support equipment (including ventilators and rapid sequence intubation medications)
• Antimicrobials and other medications frequently used in acute care

The specific drivers may vary. For example, a large outdoor event may increase demand for IV fluids and emergency care supplies as health systems treat dehydration, heat-related illnesses, and other acute conditions, or a severe weather event may create patient surges across emergency departments and intensive care units.

Healthcare leaders also should consider less obvious factors, such as visitors arriving from regions with different disease patterns or using medications that may be unfamiliar to local care teams. These scenarios may require local hospitals to reassess their treatment protocols, isolation procedures, and the availability of specialized therapies to ensure they are prepared to respond effectively.

Regardless of the cause, organizations benefit from understanding which resources are most critical to patient care and how they would respond if demand patterns changed. Preparing for these scenarios starts with asking the right questions:

• Do we have a formal resiliency strategy?
• Have we identified the products and services most critical to patient care?
• Do we understand where our supply vulnerabilities exist?
• Have we established relationships and resources we can rely on when demand surges?
• Are our response plans documented, tested, and understood across the organization?

What sets resilient health systems apart

Across healthcare, organizations tend to fall into one of three categories when disruption occurs.

Some health systems invest in resiliency planning before a disruption takes place. They establish processes, identify resources, and develop response strategies well in advance.

Others may not have formal plans in place, but they have experienced teams that can quickly adapt and find solutions under pressure. They may ultimately navigate the disruption successfully, but often at the cost of significant staff time and operational strain.

Then there are organizations that find themselves scrambling when a disruption occurs. In these situations, supply shortages become labor challenges, financial challenges, and patient care challenges simultaneously, and clinical and supply chain teams often spend valuable time searching for products instead of focusing on patient care and operational continuity.

The organizations that perform best during disruptions are those who have already done the foundational work of identifying vulnerabilities, strengthening supplier relationships, establishing response plans, and aligning with regional partners before demand begins to rise. They’ve also worked to embed resiliency best practices and preparedness strategies into their documented workflows, ongoing training, and regular exercises so teams can respond proactively when conditions change.

Large-scale events may bring unique planning considerations, but they also offer health systems an opportunity to evaluate and strengthen the resiliency strategies that will serve them well long after the crowds have gone home.

Ultimately, it really doesn't matter what the disruption is. It could be a major global event, a hurricane, or another pandemic—if health systems are proactive with their supply chain resiliency, they’re going to be prepared no matter what.

Contributing to this article: Mital Desai, Director, Pharmacy Network, Vizient Networks