Covenant Health is pausing many elective surgical procedures until further notice due to the national IV fluid shortage.
Baxter, one of Covenant Health’s pharmacological suppliers, was damaged by Hurricane Helene and had to close production at a manufacturing facility in North Carolina, impacting hospitals nationwide.
Baxter is one of the largest manufacturers in the country. They provide Covenant Health and their parent company, Providence, with approximately 130 products including intravenous and peritoneal dialysis solutions.
Covenant Health’s supply of IV fluid was more quickly depleted this past month due to the influx of patients they encountered from the UMC ransomware attack. They have asked several local facilities for support in sharing their supply, but apart from Lubbock Heart Hospital, many were unavailable to provide fluids at this time.
Covenant Health is employing various mitigation strategies to curtail this issue, including: Rescheduling elective and non-emergent procedures to ensure we can address critical and emergent needs; Implementing strategies to conserve the current supply; and Use of alternative fluids and solutions as appropriate.
Covenant Health hopes to receive a shipment from Baxter this week. As this situation continues to evolve, they will ensure their inventory is available to meet the needs of patients 24/7. Covenant Health will keep the public updated on their status.