Preparing for disaster

Avoid supply chain disruptions during an emergency

In the 10 years since 9/11, hospitals and healthcare facilities have made major strides in their disaster preparedness efforts.

“Almost every hospital has rewritten their emergency operations plan, possibly a couple of times, in the last 10 years,” said Paul Biddinger, MD, medical director of emergency preparedness at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. “Hospitals, in general, have done a lot of work in emergency planning.”

While hospitals may be more prepared than ever to manage patient care during an emergency, supply chain worries remain strong.

“In the last 20-25 years, we’ve all gone to ‘just in time’ inventory, rather than having large stockpiles,” confirmed Biddinger.

This strategy may be cost effective, but it also creates vulnerability to supply chain problems during a disaster.

DeAnn Cross, senior clinical manager at Irving, Texas-based supply contracting firm Novation, said, “The first part of being prepared for a disaster is having a template for what you will need. Be prepared in advance with a list of supplies.”

Heather Paton, senior director of distribution and logistics at Novation noted, “On the materials side, it’s important to be clear on how the distributor is going to help you out in a pinch. The most important phone call from the supply chain perspective is to the distributor.”

“If you live in a disaster-prone area, you should also have a standing order on file in the event something bad happens, and you need more supplies like fluids and pain medications,” added Paton.

Employee training is also critically important for proper and timely handling of supply chain needs in an emergency.

“People should also know who to contact at the distributer in case of an emergency. Make sure everyone knows how to find the 800 number,” said Paton.

According to Biddinger, an important aspect of supply chain management to take into consideration during a disaster is human nature. “People naturally start to horde things, for good and bad reasons, and that results in supply chain challenges,” said Biddinger.

“The good reason is they are trying to anticipate what they will need, and they decide to order a few extra boxes. But, when that’s done across the system, you create an artificial shortage because you have falsely elevated your demand,” he said.

“The other problem is people horde to get more supplies before others do,” said Biddinger. “This requires close management of the system.”

Despite the disaster preparedness improvements made over the past decade, there is still one major area of concern for Biddinger. “One component of emergency planning that is underdeveloped is truly being prepared for a no-notice event,” he said.

In terms of the supply chain, Cross recommends looking to other area hospitals for assistance as a useful strategy during a no-notice crisis because a natural disaster may devastate one facility but leave another unharmed nearby.

“Seek your local sources,” said Cross. “Coordinate with other local hospitals. Ask ‘How are we going to work with one another? Can we borrow supplies in an emergency?’”