Here are nine supply chain updates for ASC leaders to know that Becker's has reported since Nov. 3:
1. The mayor of Dallas urged the federal government to help with replenishing its supply of ambulances after flooding in August swept away four dozen of the city's ambulances. It takes at least two years to receive an ambulance after ordering one, whereas that wait time was between 90 and 120 days before the COVID-19 pandemic.
2. Here are 10 health systems and hospitals seeking supply chain expertise as of Nov. 3.
3. Cardinal Health noted a 13 percent increase in revenue, from $44 billion to $49.6 billion, in its first quarter of 2023. More on the medical supply manufacturer's earnings can be found here.
4. As margin relief becomes critical, more health systems are considering real estate options such as portfolio overhauls and optimizations, lease restructures, strategic location analytics and divestments of non-core assets to tackle labor challenges, supply chain disruptions, rising costs and difficult payer relationships.
5. A study estimated that pharmacist-administered COVID-19 vaccines have averted 1 million U.S. deaths and saved $450 billion in healthcare costs. From February 2020 through September 2022, pharmacists provided more than 270 million COVID-19 vaccinations, meaning they "plausibly accounted" for more than 50 percent of U.S. COVID-19 vaccinations.
6. Many hospitals and health systems are on course for their worst financial year in decades, and more hospital closures and bankruptcies could be possible next year, according to recent reports on the state of hospital finances in the U.S.
7. Six drugmakers have reported short supply of oseltamivir, a common flu drug, leading to shortages in pharmacies across the nation. Some companies expect supply to return to normal in late November, while others could not determine a resupply date.
8. After working with a different supplier for more than three decades, Lincoln, Neb.-based Bryan Health chose Medline as its main vendor in a deal worth $140 million. As part of the multiyear contract, Medline will exclusively provide medical supplies to Bryan's acute care medical centers across Nebraska and the Kearney Regional Medical Center, which is already served by Medline.
9. With geopolitical concerns hitting the supply chain, nearly two-thirds of U.S.-based manufacturers plan to freeze wages and recruitment efforts. To offset rising supply chain costs, 50 percent of the surveyed companies said job cuts would be next, and 46 percent said they would increase their prices.