Supply Chain

Supply chain risks pertaining to the acquisition and management of supplies and devices was the second-highest concern among 138 hospital leaders surveyed by the consulting firm Sage Growth Partners in April.

One of the largest nurses unions in the U.S. warned July 7 that spikes in COVID-19 cases across the country are causing shortages of personal protective equipment similar to what was seen in the early days of the pandemic, The…

The FDA has granted emergency use approval to three diagnostic tests that can simultaneously test patients for COVID-19 and the flu. 

Quest Diagnostics said July 6 that increased demand for COVID-19 diagnostic testing in the South, Southwest and West has exceeded its capacity and, as a result, has increased its labs' average turnaround time to deliver test results to patients. 

Kroger partnered with a Kentucky laboratory to provide its employees free at-home COVID-19 tests. 

As hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) continue to resume surgeries, clinicians may be facing new challenges as the healthcare landscape evolves to address COVID-19 concerns and the influx of patients needing surgical care.

Ten hospitals and health systems posted job listings for supply chain expertise in the last week:

Federal health officials are working with the American Red Cross and other blood donation organizations in an effort to boost supplies of convalescent plasma, a promising COVID-19 treatment, The Wall Street Journal reported. 

The U.S. government is planning to use a strategy called pooled testing to boost the number of COVID-19 tests performed nationwide, The New York Times reported. 

Some experts have warned that syringes for a future COVID-19 vaccine could face the same supply issues as N95 masks and other personal protective equipment, USA Today reported.