Supply Chain

Medtronic is recalling 822 of its pipeline flex embolization devices, which are used to treat brain aneurysms, after finding the delivery system can break during surgery and leave fractured pieces inside patients' brain bloodstreams. 

General Motors will build 30,000 ventilators for the national stockpile under a $489.4 million contract with the federal government, CNBC reported. 

President Donald Trump said the government will purchase 166.5 million masks from 3M over the next three months, The Wall Street Journal reported. 

Ventilators, the medical devices used to help patients with severe COVID-19 infections breathe, are in severe shortages around the country as hospitals struggle to meet increased demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has strained the healthcare supply chain across the U.S. and resulted in shortages of critical drugs and medical supplies. 

Blue Shield of California is providing up to $200 million in direct financial support to hospitals and physicians who are facing new pressures from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Washington state will return more than 400 ventilators to the strategic national stockpile, Gov. Jay Inslee announced April 5.

Now more than ever, the vital work that supply chain professionals perform every day is key in supporting patient care.

The CDC has released a set of strategies to maximize the use of face masks when supply is scarce or unavailable.

Amazon is no longer allowing the general public to buy certain medical supplies, such as N95 masks and diagnostic tests, to prioritize the supplies for hospitals and government agencies, CNBC reported.