Supply Chain

Eight health systems have posted job listings for supply chain expertise in the last week: 

Respirators need to be redesigned to fit everyone well, Saralyn Mark, MD, wrote for The Hill Feb. 16.

The demand for masks has slowed as the COVID-19 pandemic eases, leading manufacturer 3M to see a likely reduction in growth by 2 percentage points this year, The Wall Street Journal reported this week.

China's 'zero-COVID-19' policy, which institutes strict lockdowns in the face of local outbreaks, could lead to global supply chain disruptions, The Wall Street Journal reported this week.

Some states have begun distributing free at-home COVID-19 tests to residents. 

Standardization helps hospitals and health systems reduce costs and improve clinical outcomes, while also building a robust supply chain with predetermined product alternatives that can withstand disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Federal data suggests at-home COVID-19 antiviral pills aren't turning out to be the highly demanded game changers health experts anticipated, the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy reported Feb. 11. 

Policy makers are now assessing pandemic experiences from the healthcare supply chain, and seeking insights on how to harden the pipeline of essential medical products against unpredictable disruptions and unanticipated demands common to a Covid scale epidemic.

KF94 masks are high-quality masks made in South Korea that are often described as being more comfortable than typical respirators, The New York Times reported Feb. 10. 

Lawmakers are calling on the Department of Veterans Affairs to halt implementation of a $2.2 billion supply chain management system across its healthcare facilities, Federal News Network reported Feb. 9.