The Genesis Health System eased its PPE supply issues by purchasing a minority stake in Prestige Ameritech, the largest domestic supplier of PPE, and manufacturer of the N95 medical-grade mask, according to an article on the Dispatch Argus website.
The purchase has made a huge difference in both supply and cost, according to Lisa Rogalski, director of materials services at Genesis.
"The realization hit that PPE isn't something in the future we are going to be able to risk running as a just-in-time inventory due to the fact that the supply chain outside of our control is not secure. We've been building a stockpile and we will maintain a stockpile moving forward of essential PPE,” she said in the article. Genesis has been working to build a PPE stockpile of 120 to 150 days.
Another change Genesis has made is a shift away from system purchasing to one of visualization distribution, a system that uses location-based information to keep track of inventory.
According to the Medical Express website, many facilities have started self-producing PPE and test materials and reprocessing respirators in the face of shortages.
Read the full Dispatch Argus article.
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