Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officially declared the nationwide shortage of sodium chloride 0.9% injection products over, saying a critical supply line for hospitals and surgical teams is restored. According to an August 8 statement from FDA Commissioner Martin A. Makary, MD, MPH, the resolution marks a…
Editor’s Note: This page is a companion piece to the main article, Emergency preparedness: Identifying essential supplies for unplanned surgical events. While the main article outlines the principles of emergency readiness and supply preparation in the OR, the posts below offer a closer look at two key implementation areas: Supply…
The ongoing turbulence in global trade policy, particularly the re-escalation of tariffs on medical supplies from China and other countries, is weighing heavily on US healthcare operations. Sweeping US trade policy shifts this year are sparking great concern, but while 2025 has seen unprecedented tariff escalations and supply chain volatility,…
Editor's Note Hospitals spent nearly $900 million in labor last year managing drug shortages, dedicating over 20 million hours to activities such as sourcing alternatives, updating systems, and communicating with care teams, according to a new Vizient survey published June 17. Conducted in late 2023 and detailed in Vizient’s June…
Editor's Note Recent reporting from Axios reveals hospitals and health insurers are reporting new concerns about rising tariffs and trade policy uncertainty, with the former delaying purchasing decisions and the latter planning premium increases as a result. In the first article, published June 18, the outlet reports that health system…
Editor's Note America’s Blood Centers (ABC) and the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Stop the Bleed program have launched a national collaboration to strengthen trauma response and emergency preparedness, according to a May 30 announcement. The initiative connects public education in bleeding control with efforts to maintain a stable national…
Editor's Note Eliminating the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) key disaster preparedness grants could weaken hospital infrastructure and jeopardize care during future crises, according to a May 5 report in Modern Healthcare. As detailed in the article, the Trump administration has cut $3.3 billion in annual funding by ending the…
Editor's Note Medtech companies are scrambling to contain the financial damage from rising tariffs without passing costs onto hospitals, according to a May 2 report in Modern Healthcare. Executives from industry leaders including Johnson & Johnson, GE HealthCare, and Intuitive Surgical outlined mitigation efforts during recent earnings calls, with most…
In the OR, precision and focus can mean the difference between life and death. However, surgical patient outcomes hinge on more than the competence of those working in these inherently intense environments. Every procedure also depends on the laborious, behind-the-scenes efforts of the people responsible for ensuring every surgical instrument…
Editor's Note Tariffs on medical equipment and supplies continue to climb—a situation that calls for action on the part of healthcare organizations, according to an April 23 article from nonprofit safety organization ECRI. The article highlights ten proactive steps organizations can take to protect both care quality and the bottom…