The leading tactics to combat supply chain disruptions are confirming vendor-approved product alternatives and stockpiling, according to a Kaufman Hall report published Oct. 24.
Kaufman Hall compiled responses from 106 hospital and health system leaders across the U.S. representing executives from hospitals, medical groups and health systems.
The most common factors leading to supply chain disruptions for hospitals are distribution delays, raw product and sourcing availability, reliance on foreign suppliers, and inadequate supply chain visibility, according to the report. Eighty-two percent of the respondents said one of their mitigation strategies is "defining approved vendor product substitutions," and 57% said another solution is "increasing inventory levels."
Even as supply disruptions dwindle post-pandemic, inflation is creating pressure on hospital supply chain departments, the report found — and these teams are sometimes overlooked.
"Supply chain executives are firefighters by design; they are blamed when it doesn't work, but their departments are often under-resourced," one respondent said. "We need to move supply chain from a transactional to a strategic mindset."