College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Term of Award

Spring 2026

Degree Name

Doctor of Public Health in Public Health Leadership (Dr.P.H.)

Document Type and Release Option

Dissertation (open access)

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Department

College of Public Health

Committee Chair

Ho Tung

Committee Member 1

Asli Aslan

Committee Member 2

Atin Adhikari

Abstract

This dissertation examines pandemic emergency preparedness in New York City hospitals, which were severely strained during COVID-19, revealing critical gaps between documented plans and operational readiness. Using a multimethod approach combining a survey of 20 stakeholders across city hospitals, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis of policy frameworks and after-action reports, the study identifies a persistent "documentation-execution paradox": while 80% of respondents confirmed clear pandemic plans, only 45% expressed confidence in staffing adequacy, 55% in surge planning realism, and just 45% confirmed regular drills. Qualitative analysis revealed workforce as the single greatest yet most underinvested vulnerability, supply chain fragility rooted in just-in-time inventory models, inconsistent escalation protocols, and governance deficits including communication gaps between leadership and clinical staff. Document analysis confirmed that lessons from H1N1, measles, and COVID-19 remain documented but not institutionalized, with identical challenges recurring across outbreaks. In response, this study develops a six-component Strategic Management Toolkit - comprising a Policy Translation Audit, Workforce Resilience Framework, Supply Chain Redundancy Planner, Threshold-Based Escalation System, Scenario Flexibility Assessment, and Governance Quality Indicators - providing hospital leaders with evidence-based instruments to transform compliance-based preparedness into genuine strategic resilience for future pandemics.

Research Data and Supplementary Material

Yes

Download

Share

COinS