Childcare as Workforce Infrastructure: A Practical Strategy For North Carolina’s Health System

To the Editor -A surgeon's skill means little without the team and infrastructure that makes safe surgery possible.With over ten years in health care, including seven as an ICU nurse, I understand how pivotal staffing is to patient care.That reality became unmistakable during a cardiac rotation for my nurse anesthesia training.Two surgeons were discussing whether openheart surgeries could proceed the next morning.The surgeons were ready.Anesthesia was ready.The barrier was not clinical preparedness.The barrier was child care.