Eight ASC leaders shared their biggest supply chain challenges with Becker's ASC Review.

As COVID-19 cases soar, some healthcare organizations are running into challenges with securing, storing and utilizing necessary supplies, including personal protective equipment and COVID-19 tests.

CVS Caremark, which manages drug benefits for more than 40 million individuals, is granting preferred access to three Bioventus treatments for pain caused by knee osteoarthritis, according to a Nov. 10 announcement.

ASC software providers HST Pathways and Casetabs merged their businesses in a private transaction, according to a Nov. 10 announcement.

The pandemic has driven up supply expenses for the owners of small physician practices, including Milwaukee-based family medicine specialist Barbara Hummel, MD, according to a Nov. 9 USA Today report.

“The use of protective equipment in the procedure area seems easy to accomplish, but I’m often surprised to find that facilities aren’t utilizing their PPE properly or in the most effective way”, shares Helene Levenson, RN, BSN, Senior Consultant of Clinical Operations at Cardinal Health.

Smith+Nephew added patient selection and care pathway tools to its care management platform for ASCs, the company announced Nov. 5.

  Northfield, Ill.-based medical supply company Medline Industries adjusted its plans for a distribution center in Hammond, La., according to a Nov. 5 report from The Daily Star.

Healthcare supplier McKesson formed a Critical Care Drug Task Force to proactively manage pharmaceutical supply constraints during the pandemic, according to an Oct. 27 announcement.

Burnout is one of the most pressing issues facing ASCs, especially in response to the pandemic. However, leaders do not always know what steps they can take to help their clinicians and staff reduce burnout and its effects.

  Dublin-based Medtronic expanded its ENT portfolio by receiving FDA clearance of its NIM Vital device and acquiring Santa Barbara, Calif.-based Ai Biomed Corp., according to an Oct. 29 press release.

When it comes to analyzing resources needed to implement a total joints program, ASCs should look at their equipment and supplies first to determine what they will need. This requires speaking with stakeholders to understand the details of the surgery, including what physical positions the patient will be in during surgery, and if they have the right tools or tables currently.

Smith+Nephew's new ARIA Digital Care Management Solution is designed to help clinical teams streamline patient selection and care coordination, which are key components of any successful outpatient total hip and knee program.

Supply chain recovery will require a collective focus by industry professionals, according to a recent survey by Supplyframe.

The consequences of tariffs on China are top of mind for supply chain industry professionals, according to a recent survey by Supplyframe.

It could take years for medical device supply chains to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, most industry professionals said in a recent survey by Supplyframe.

Shortages of personal protective equipment are a significant contributor to burnout and stress among physicians and other healthcare professionals, according to a Medscape survey of 7,414 respondents in eight countries.

Smith+Nephew plans to launch its remote physical therapy platform, Aria Home PT, for ASCs in early 2021.

  Northfield, Ill.-based medical supply company Medline is exploring Hammond, La., as a site for a distribution center as plans in a nearby city face obstacles, according to an Oct. 19 report from nola.com. 

Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary, Ethicon, will pay $5.5 million to settle allegations that their marketing of transvaginal surgical mesh devices violated Oregon's consumer protection laws, Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum announced Oct. 16.