Vizient, a healthcare performance improvement company, has expanded its Reserve Program to include IV fluids through a partnership with Baxter, aiming to strengthen supply chain preparedness.
The partnership provides participating healthcare organizations with on-demand manufacturer inventory of IV fluids warehoused in the U.S. along with inventory management support, according to a July 23 news release from the company.
The expansion of the program to include IV fluids comes less than a year after Hurricane Helene hit the Baxter plant based in Durham, N.C., causing a widespread shortage of IV supplies.
While Baxter’s U.S. IV fluid production levels have since been restored, the partnership aims to build a long-term strategy to promote supply resiliency and help healthcare providers prepare for natural disasters and increased supply demand.
“At Baxter, we are actively committed to supporting hospitals and health systems navigate any threat to supply continuity,” Cecilia Soriano, global president of Baxter’s infusion therapies and technologies business, said in the news release. “Baxter and Vizient’s shared commitment to enabling access to life-sustaining therapies is at the heart of this initiative, and we’re honored to support Vizient clients in their efforts to build greater supply resilience.”
The new program builds on the Vizient Novaplus Enhanced Supply Reserve, which provides up to six months of manufacturer inventory for certain medications, the release said.
