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Business Insights: Industry consolidation, severe weather leave healthcare supply chains vulnerable

Are we facing shortages of medical supplies like IV fluids? How fragile is the supply chain in our healthcare system? Tommy Tucker, radio show host for station WWL in Louisiana, talks with David Dreyfus, associate professor of Supply Chain Management and director of the Masters of Healthcare Analytics and Intelligence Program at Rutgers Business School. The conversation begins at 3:14.

IV fluid shortages in the U.S. are still ongoing but not nearly as severe as when Hurricane Helene caused Baxter International Inc. in North Carolina to close due to flooding in the area, Dreyfus said. Baxter supplies roughly 60% of the nation's IV fluids. While this sort of consolidation in manufacturing of healthcare supplies is efficient, it makes the health care system more vulnerable to disruptions.

Listen to the 23-minute podcast

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