Forbes: Supply-Chain Snags Create Shortages Of Lifesaving Medical Supplies In U.S.

Lori Lee spends a lot of time trying to keep Connecticut’s largest health system stocked with medical supplies from IV lines to gauze bandages. It’s a job that’s gotten increasingly harder as unprecedented snarls have tied the supply chain in knots.

“There are probably hundreds of outages of items that we order that do not come in,” says Lee, senior vice president of clinical operations at Yale New Haven Health, which has annual revenue of $5.6 billion and five hospitals including in Bridgeport and Greenwich. She says the list of shortages includes basics such as IV tubing and catheters, which are used constantly in hospitals.

With just-in-time ordering, the health system relies on distributors to deliver supplies quickly rather than hospitals keeping them in stock. “Many of those things on a daily basis don’t show up,” Lee says. She’s resorted to having her team of doctors and nurses search for substitutes, which requires training nurses in the slight differences in how they might operate. “This is not really like Coke and Pepsi,” Lee says. “It’s a massive, massive effort every day that we’re really struggling with.” . . .