Supply Chain

Device maker Medtronic will close its facility in Portsmouth, N.H., which will affect about 150 jobs, according to the New Hampshire Union Leader.

The healthcare industry is experiencing massive disruption that requires organizations to rapidly adapt, while maintaining focus on better patient outcomes, improved quality of care and increased profitability.

As innovative hospitals and health system leaders have committed their organizations to quality improvement and cost reduction efforts in recent years, the healthcare supply chain has emerged as a prime target for efficiency improvement.

The Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston will consolidate its sterilization and supply chain department into a single facility, reports The Post and Courier.

West Des Moines, Iowa-based UnityPoint Health has donated 10,000 pounds of medical equipment and supplies to help impoverished countries, according to a KWWL news report.

As surgical pack costs rise year after year, clinical and administrative leaders often feel they are losing control over pricing measures that are opaque and confusing.

With direct shipments coming from hundreds of manufacturers – adding up to thousands of individual shipments arriving in multiple deliveries – it’s difficult for hospitals to achieve total supply chain visibility.

Blockchain continues to slowly move into the healthcare sphere. However, the technology is rapidly being used in the financial and trading industries.

Four drugs or medical devices approved by the FDA since Feb. 15:

Supplies of BCG, a critical immunotherapy drug that treats bladder cancer, are dwindling, according to a STAT news report.