Supply Chain

Valeritas Holdings, a New Jersey-based company that makes insulin pumps, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the company said.

Demand for personal protective equipment, including surgical face masks, is 100 times higher than normal, and prices are 20 times higher due to fears surrounding the coronavirus, the American Hospital Association said. 

When it comes to supply chain initiatives in the OR and other procedural areas, a cost savings story alone without an evidence-based approach is unlikely to earn the support of clinicians.

Drone delivery has the potential to disrupt the transportation industry and improve access to medical supplies, particularly in rural areas. 

Cardinal Health's recall of millions of surgical gowns cost the company $96 million, CEO Mike Kaufmann told analysts during the company's second-quarter earnings call Feb. 6, according to a transcript from investing advice company The Motley Fool. 

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

Boston Scientific expects to lose $10 million to $40 million in sales in the first quarter of 2020 because of the impact of the coronavirus, the Star Tribune reported. 

Premier will acquire Acurity, the Greater New York Hospital Association's group purchasing organization, in a $291.5 million deal, the company said Feb. 4. 

A former lab manager at Big South Fork Medical Center in Oneida, Tenn., said he quit after the hospital regularly ran low on basic supplies and critical lab tests, local NBC affiliate 10News reported.

As hospitals and health systems look for every opportunity to save, the supply chain is a growing focus and product pricing is a natural target. But beyond these hard costs, there are other savings opportunities that are often overlooked.