Thirty-four health systems have partnered with Premier and DeRoyal Industries, a medical manufacturer, to form a joint venture designed to produce isolation gowns in response to critical shortages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Premier said the venture was created because of the risks of relying on overseas vendors to supply U.S. hospitals with personal protective gear. When the pandemic hit, many countries closed their borders and prevented U.S. access to supplies, which caused shortages across the country. Seventy-four percent of U.S. hospitals reported they were unable to find enough isolation gowns in April, the company said.
The isolation gowns will be produced in a facility near Knoxville, Tenn. The raw materials will be primarily come from the U.S., with backup from Mexico and South America.
Each of the health systems involved in the partnership have signed multiyear commitments to buy a portion of the isolation gowns annually.
The participating health systems include AdventHealth in Altamonte Springs, Fla.; Atrium Health in Charlotte, N.C.; Henry Ford Health System in Detroit; Baptist Health in Louisville, Ky.; and Monument Health in Rapid City, S.D.
The gowns are expected to be available by the middle of next year, Premier said.
Read the full news release here.