The healthcare industry is facing significant supply chain challenges that are starting to disrupt essential services. Between the temporary Baxter North Cove plant closure and the East and Gulf Coast port strikes, hospitals are beginning to feel the impact, raising concerns about the availability of critical intravenous solutions and other essential medical supplies.
Leaders from the Healthcare Industry Resilience Collaborative, Somerville, Mass.-based Mass General Brigham and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists connected with Becker's on how the challenges can be mitigated.
What happened
Baxter International temporarily closed its facility in Marion, N.C., on Sept. 30 because of flooding from Hurricane Helene. The North Cove site, the largest manufacturer of IV solutions in the U.S., distributes intravenous and peritoneal dialysis solutions.
At the same time, more than 45,000 dockworkers across 36 East and Gulf Coast ports went on strike Oct. 1, though the strike was suspended after the contract between the International Longshoremen's Association and the United States Maritime Alliance was extended into January.
Both events took a toll on the healthcare supply chain, with leaders needing to act quickly.
Jesse Schafer, executive director of the HIRC, said a prolonged recovery period could be in store, suggesting the industry must prepare for potentially months of constrained supply.
"The market will be highly constrained," said Schafer.
Chicago-based Northwestern Medicine told NBC News it anticipates IV fluid disruptions to be a "long-term issue."
Michael Ganio, PharmD, ASHP's senior director of pharmacy practice and quality, said the Baxter plant closure's impact is already being felt, including in medication shortages and delays in patient care.
"Building strong relationships with our suppliers has been crucial," he said. "We need transparency to navigate these uncertainties effectively."
Mitigation strategies
Mass General Brigham has already started to implement mitigation strategies. Paul Biddinger, MD, the health system's chief preparedness and continuity officer for Mass General Brigham, said it maintains a stockpile of essential medical supplies and has dedicated staff to oversee supply chain resilience efforts, he told Becker's via email.
The health system has also developed a playbook for emergency preparedness designed to enable swift action when shortages arise. In addition, Mass General Brigham has digital tools integrated with electronic health records, which allows the system to notify clinicians in real time about product shortages and suggest other alternative products when feasible, Dr. Biddinger said.
Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles has also started implementing contingency plans as a result of the supply disruptions.
"We are utilizing alternative solutions based on guidelines from national medical associations and exploring other ways to source IV fluids," a Cedars-Sinai spokesperson said in a statement to Becker's. "We are closely monitoring the situation, which is evolving quickly, and will keep our community and patients informed."
Dr. Gaino emphasized the importance of conservation, as buying months' worth of inventory can rapidly deplete what is in the supply chain.
"The primary strategy at this point is to conserve until we know more about what products might become available and about what Baxter's plan might be," he said. "How other manufacturers might be able to ramp up production is to conserve everything that might be affected.”
Dr. Gaino added that conservation also means using other methods of drawing up medications instead of through an IV until the shortage resolves.
Allina Health and M Health Fairview, both based in Minneapolis, Minn. are canceling some surgeries in order to conserve limited IV stock. Allina Health said it would be rescheduling all non-emergency surgeries and M Health Fairview said it would start postponing some elective procedures.
Leaning on communication
The need for collaboration and data sharing among healthcare organizations has also become increasingly evident amid supply chain shortages.
Mr. Schafer said communication across the supply chain is essential for effective resource allocation.
"What we're really missing is data and analytics to show where the greatest level of need is," he said. To address this, he said the HIRC is gathering insights from members regarding the state of the supply chain shortages and anticipated recovery timelines.
Dr. Biddinger said Mass General Brigham has been using a range of communication channels, including emails, departmental updates and on-screen alerts, to ensure staff remains informed.
Looking ahead
Healthcare leaders emphasized the need to rely on established risk management processes and employ conservation strategies until shortages resolve.
"A mature risk management framework is built upon processes that help predict, prevent and recover from disruption," Mr. Schafer said.
Dr. Biddinger echoed this sentiment, urging healthcare leaders to conserve while also focusing on transparent communication and collaboration.
"Try your best to take care of your own patients as well as consider the patient community at large, and if you can't sleep well at night, answering the question, 'Am I hoarding at the expense of others?' Please reconsider," he said.