As intravenous solutions shortages continue to plague health systems and the U.S. supply chain, here are 12 supply chain updates orthopedic leaders should know:
1. Baxter International, the nation's largest supplier of IV solutions, began importing IV fluids last week from two of its international manufacturing facilities to address supply shortages in the U.S.
2. Hospitals across the nation are conserving IV fluids amid a new shortage of supplies — the latest example of fallout from Hurricane Helene. Somerville, Mass.-based Mass General Brigham held a press call Oct. 3, saying Baxter sent a letter to the health system and other customers stating it would be receiving 40% of the level of supply it typically receives.
3. The CDC issued guidelines Oct. 12 on how systems and leaders can manage the supply disruptions of peritoneal dialysis and IVsolutions.
4. The American Hospital Association called on President Biden to declare the current IV solution shortage a national emergency in an Oct. 7 news release, citing significant challenges for healthcare providers across the U.S.
5. 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 various supply chain challenges, including shortages and strikes, can be mitigated.
6. The Biden administration awarded more than $367 million in contracts to six companies based in the U.S. to bolster the strategic national stockpile with personal protective equipment, specifically isolation gowns, as part of an effort to prepare for future public health emergencies.
7. The International Longshoremen's Association and the United States Maritime Alliance reached a tentative agreement on wages, leading to the suspension of port strikes on the East and Gulf Coasts.
8. CMS announced a series of assistance measures and flexibilities for Medicare fee-for-service providers and suppliers impacted by Hurricane Helene.
9. Chico, Calif.-based Cascade Orthopedic Supply, a distributor of orthotics, prosthetics, materials and equipment, has become an independently owned company after finalizing a deal with orthotics and prosthetics provider Ottobock.
10. The University of Maryland Medical System partnered with digital platform Gallion to manage high-cost procedures including spine and total joint care.
11. Warsaw, Ind.-based Zimmer Biomet, the largest employer in Kosciusko County, threatened to exit the region if the state does not modernize a 155-mile stretch of nearby highway that also serves Zimmer's manufacturing facilities.
12. Orthopedic and spine surgery designer and manufacturer SurGenTec entered a three-year contract with supply and procurement leader Premier.