The Carolinas Pandemic Preparedness Task Force, convened in July 2021 by the North Carolina Institute of Medicine (NCIOM) and the South Carolina Institute of Medicine and Public Health (IMPH), was charged with examining lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic and developing consensus around actionable recommendations for a resilient future. The work of the task force was guided by a focus on equity, a cross-sector approach to health and well-being, and attention to the needs of vulnerable and historically marginalized populations, which have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.