As we near the end of a demanding and tumultuous 2020, and on behalf of all Cerner associates, I want to express appreciation for Cerner’s clients and all the frontline health workers around the world who have sacrificed so much in the fight against COVID-19.

In a year defined by what will likely be the biggest health care crisis of our lifetimes, tens of millions* of doctors, nurses and caregivers have demonstrated courage, compassion, stamina and selflessness unlike anything we have seen. These individuals and organizations have bravely gone above and beyond, and we at Cerner have been humbled by the opportunity to support their important work.

As the COVID-19 virus spread across the globe and researchers mobilized to develop a safe and effective vaccine, Cerner’s clients adapted and innovated to serve their communities. In the earliest days of the pandemic, they quickly stood up field hospitals and surge locations in cities like London, Madrid, Dubai, Seattle and New York. Equipped with forecasting tools, predictive models and command center dashboards, they implemented new technologies to maintain their operations.

Cerner clients also rapidly expanded telehealth capacity and functionality – in some cases, increasing virtual appointment throughput by more than 100-fold – to limit the spread of COVID-19. Throughout these global efforts, Cerner used data to enhance the clinician experience and personalize health care, relentlessly advancing client successes. Please watch this video highlighting recent accomplishments of our clients.

“Thank you” does not begin to convey the gratitude we feel for health care workers. It does not bring back the lives we have lost to this virus, nor does it make up for the unrelenting stress caused by isolation from friends and loved ones.

The pandemic has exposed many of our industry’s shortcomings, but it has also highlighted many opportunities to re-imagine the future of care. Opportunities to simplify access to data-driven insights, to improve the interoperable exchange of critical health data and to address the crisis of clinician burnout.

As we enter the New Year, I’m optimistic and confident that together we can advance the pace of improvement. We all know health care is too important to stay the same.

Brent Shafer
Chairman & CEO | Cerner Corp.

* According to the World Health Organization 2006 report, Health Workers: A Global Profile, “a conservative estimate of the size of the health workforce globally is just over 59 million workers.” https://www.who.int/whr/2006/06_chap1_en.pdf