Abstract
Healthcare is a special type of service industry because of its extensive high-touch customer contact, a wider variety of services provided, and death as a potential outcome. The COVID-19 pandemic has tested and stretched the healthcare industry more than ever. The next normal for healthcare will look nothing like the normal we leave behind. This article discusses the impact of COVID-19 in selected segments of service operations as applied in the healthcare industry. We discuss healthcare operations such as capacity and demand management, service level determination, safety stock calculations for healthcare inventory, redefined lean management and six-sigma quality, telehealth and patient outreach, emerging technology adoption, supply chain innovation, and decision making under uncertainty. Special emphasis is given to demand-supply management in service supply chain design. Healthcare stakeholders on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic must understand not only the disease itself but also the operational efficiency and effectiveness of different aspects of providing healthcare services.