P3A219: Changes made to Supply Chain Practices Among Region V Consortium Pediatric Hospitals During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Recommendations to Strengthen Supply Chain Resilience for Future Events

Background: Region V for Kids is a Pediatric Disaster Care Center of Excellence (CoE) funded by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR). The consortium is made up of 10 hospitals representing pediatric care facilities. The goal is to strengthen regional capabilities around disaster preparedness and response. In partnership with Healthcare Ready, a supply chain assessment was conducted as a follow up of an assessment conducted in 2020 to evaluate regional supply chain practices amongst pediatric hospitals and health systems within the Region V Kids Consortium.

Methods: Liiterature-based search that consisted of a review and synthesis of peer-reviewed research articles, industry produced reports, government documents, and other publicly available resources that spoke to supply chain challenges and /or best practices during COVID-19. Informational discussions were held with supply chain managers and entities who have a regional footprint, as identified in the 2020 assessment. These interviews collected information on pediatric-specific critical supplies used for common hazards in the region, revisions made to supply chain practices due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the identification of potential supply chain gaps and vulnerabilities across the region.

Results: Hospitals moved away from just-in time ordering strategies and opted for strategies that allow facilities to have greater days on hand inventory. Increased use of warehousing to create a safety stock and increase the movement of product around neighboring facilities to ensure products went to where they were most needed. Increased the minimum days-on hand inventory at periodic replenishment (PAR) locations. Hospitals took differing approaches to managing their critical supplies list, though most indicated the use of some processes or procedures that allow supply chain teams to ensure adequate levels of priority supplies. Forming strategic relationships and partnerships with supply chain owners and operators (GPOs, distributors, suppliers, vendors, manufacturers, logistic providers) helped to resolve procurement issues and alleviate supply shortages.

Conclusion: Invest in opportunities and strategies that will strengthen regional supply chain resilience, so that facilities are better prepared for future events. Improve information sharing to support better forecasting and demand sharing across the entire supply chain; focus on mitigating workforce shortages of essential personnel to strengthen supply chain; leverage existing partnership whose membership consists of pediatric hospitals; participate in opportunities to work with government partners; ensure that the pediatric hospitals or health systems have primary and secondary sources for product; work with external partners to ensure there is a safety stockpile for future hazardous events; consider regional stock rotation in inventory management; incorporate the notion of safety stockpiles into the organization’s hazard vulnerability analysis and ensure that it is shared with internal and external partners. Finally, ensure diverse, interdepartmental, inter-institutional, and inter-specialty representation within value analysis teams and incident command centers.