California, the fifth largest economy in the world with a population of nearly 40 million, experienced a medical surge during 2020-21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In a recent article published in the journal Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, authors from the state and several institutions describe how a collaborative, multi-disciplinary clinical and logistical solution was developed. This innovative approach helped the state support the ventilator and oxygen needs of a population during a mass surge in demand.