There is a national shortage of tracheostomy tubes, including ICU Medical's Bivona tubes, and the dearth is more likely to affect pediatric patients because there are few alternative products, the FDA said Oct. 31. 

Here are 10 health systems and hospitals that posted job listings seeking supply chain expertise in the last week. 

Whether it's "end-of-the-year chaos" with manufacturers halting production for a few weeks or geopolitical concerns, supply chain disruptions are bound to happen — but that doesn't mean hoarding is the solution, Harvard Business Review reported Oct. 27.

From fall 2020 to the present, the costs for some of the most critical elements (e.g., resins, cotton and metals) in the medical supplies and devices that hospitals and health systems use daily all soared in excess of 30 percent, in parallel with rising foundational costs like shipping freight and energy. Healthcare organizations’ drug expenses spiked, too, until by the end of last year they were 28 percent higher than pre-pandemic levels.

Here are seven drug and medical device recalls the FDA reported in October: 

Supply chain issues have become part of the new normal in healthcare—in 2021, 99% of hospitals and health systems reported challenges in supply procurement.

As hospital supply chains endure inflationary pressures, the surge of multiple viruses and typical "end-of-the-year chaos," medical supply experts told Becker's their top concerns heading into 2022's winter.

Philips, an Amsterdam-based medical device company, will cut 4,000 jobs as it weathers a recall of 18 million sleep apnea masks, The Wall Street Journal reported Oct. 24. 

The baby powder shortage lasted months after Abbott Laboratories shuttered its main manufacturing site for the product, and the company is now planning a new $500 million facility, CBS News reported Oct. 21. 

A shortage of liquid helium, a nonrenewable element that has been dwindling in supply, is worrying physicians because MRI machines require the ultra-cold material for its magnets, NBC News reported Oct. 22. 

Here are 10 health systems and hospitals that posted job listings seeking supply chain expertise in the last week. 

Since their September recall of more than 17 million sleep masks, Philips Respironics bumped that number up to 18,670,643 units on Oct. 19. 

Medtronic, a medtech company based in Ireland, reported two recent updates to its heart devices:

The COVID-19 pandemic forced healthcare organizations and their supply chain partners to address shortages and solve operational challenges under extreme pressure.

A Missouri law barring hospitals from limiting patient visits is 11 times more expensive than early projections predicted, and the cost of personal protective equipment is driving the expense, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Oct. 12. 

Here are 10 health systems and hospitals that posted job listings seeking supply chain expertise in the last week. 

The last few years have brought about increased visibility to the overall resiliency and preparedness of the global supply chain, highlighting the industry’s ability — and inability — to manage sustained, long-term demand. Medline spoke with industry leaders across the country to capture their insights into what will shape the future of the healthcare supply chain and contribute to the ability to respond to the demands of the next crisis.

The Healthcare Supply Chain Association is joining the End Drug Shortages Alliance, which represents seven group purchasing organizations. 

Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, a three-hospital health system based in Newport Beach, Calif., picked Medline as its exclusive medical supply distributor in a partnership valued at $200 million. 

Nevro, a company that sells chronic pain medical devices, called UnitedHealthcare's newest coverage policy update "disappointing" after the insurance company hinted it wouldn't cover spinal cord stimulation devices for some people with chronic back pain.