Supply Chain

The medical device industry already has felt the sting of the trade war between the U.S. and China which may worsen if negotiations fail, according to Business Insider.

Terri Lee Doehrmann, a worker in the linen services department at Mercy Iowa City (Iowa), spends hours each week sorting through hospital linens for signs of wear or tear that would make them unusable, according to The Gazette. 

The vast majority of hospital clinicians and department managers understand that supply chain management is critical to controlling costs. But they also think they spend too much time on supply chain tasks—and many say the work takes away from patient…

The scope and role of freight management in healthcare has evolved significantly in the last decade, presenting hospitals with new savings opportunities. 

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

By 2020, supply chain expenses will eclipse labor as the major cost in U.S. healthcare, according to SpendEdge, a global procurement advisory firm.

Bon Secours Mercy Health, a recently merged 48-hospital system based in Cincinnati, was able to drive $2.1 million in savings in its supply chain in one week, the health system announced in July. 

Below are five of the top supply chain stories published by Becker's Hospital Review in July, beginning with the most popular:

True Health Diagnostics, a blood-testing company based in Texas, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection July 30 and plans to lay off 392 employees, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. 

Despite issuing an emergency call for blood donors in early July, the American Red Cross is still facing a critical nationwide shortage, with fewer than three days' worth of most blood types, according to Indiana news radio station WBIW.