North Dakota has expanded its centralized medical cache to support emergency preparedness and healthcare continuity across the state.
State officials said the cache includes 80,000 square feet of climate-controlled warehouse space and is staffed by four full-time employees, according to North Dakota’s director of public health preparedness, who was interviewed for a March 31 blog post from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. Healthcare and public health agencies can access supplies without a formal emergency declaration if supply chains are disrupted.
The cache supports both acute emergencies and routine disruptions, and is equipped with ventilators, medical surge beds, generators and patient transport vehicles, among other emergency supplies. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the cache distributed 1.9 million medical masks. More recently, according to the report, it supplied materials that allowed a rural facility to continue surgeries after losing access to a pharmaceutical distributor.
North Dakota’s cache includes 30 vehicles and about 40 trailers. When fully activated, the transportation network can support the movement of up to 2,000 patients. The system also includes mobile shower and food services for long-term care residents and staff.
The program is part of a statewide public-private partnership that includes hospitals, long-term care providers, EMS agencies and pharmacies, according to the report. The state is also exploring regional sharing models through mutual aid agreements to expand access to emergency supplies across neighboring states.
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