NEWPORT –– Like hospitals around the country, North Country Hospital is navigating the shortage of IV solution supplies, caused by the massive destruction of a Baxter IV solution production facility in Asheville, North Carolina during Hurricane Helene at the end of September. Baxter is the primary supplier of these solutions for 60 percent of the U.S., so the impact of this catastrophic event is being felt worldwide.
The hospital says to manage the supply, the demand and the shortage of IV solutions, Chief Nursing Officer, Denise Carter, immediately brought an IV Solutions task force together to review supplies on hand, what was on backorder, and to research potential sources from other vendors while Baxter is incapacitated.
On November 4 the hospital stood up Incident Command, a standardized approach to the coordination of emergency response incident management. The task force now functions as Incident Command, meeting daily to review IV solutions inventory, coordinate patient needs within clinical areas, and brainstorm mitigation efforts without compromising patient care.
The hospital says that while they don’t know how long this potential shortage of IV solutions may continue, they are monitoring needs daily, which is the norm for now.
“We will not compromise patient care, access to high quality medical services, or our integrity as an organization. North Country Hospital remains committed to our deeply felt mission to provide exceptional care that makes a difference in the lives of our patients and our community,” the hospital said in a statement.
