Irrigation Fluids Shortage Update

Valley continues to be adjusting workflows and actively monitoring a national shortage of IV and irrigation fluids after Hurricane Helene shut down a Baxter facility in September. A Command Center is meeting three days a week and additional meetings are being held daily between members of our supply chain, surgical, and pharmacy teams. In the midst of all of this hard work, it is still imperative that all staff work together to conserve these fluids as much as possible. 

Additional updates on our current situation:

• Supply Chain Instability: While the national supply chain situation is slowly showing signs of improvement, it continues to be unreliable and unstable. Our IV solutions provider has reduced allocations of fluids for all customers. Baxter hopes to start releasing product from the North Carolina factory by the end of November at 25% capacity and has said it is optimistic about reaching 90% capacity by the end of the year. Based on conversations with our suppliers, we expect the shortage to last through the end of 2024.
• Operational Adjustments: Valley teams are working together on multiple conservation protocols and our pharmacy team has been stretching supply by preparing smaller 500 mL of sterile saline irrigation solution. We are also leaning on our Culinary & Nutrition Services team for oral rehydration solutions for patients when possible. Thankfully, due to our conservation strategies, very few procedures have had to be canceled so far. 
• Safety-First Approach: Patient safety remains a top priority, and there has been no change to the standard of care. Staff should follow only approved conservation methods and consult leaders if there are questions about these guidelines or suggestions for additional conservation strategies. Conservation strategies do not replace best practices and good clinical judgement in maintaining the highest quality of care for our patients.
• Resource Monitoring: Pharmacy and supply chain teams are closely monitoring stock, adjusting allocations, and working with suppliers as production and shipments remain inconsistent. 

By staying vigilant and adhering to conservation measures, we can continue to provide safe patient care amid these critical supply chain challenges. A big THANK YOU to the teams who have spent many hours working on conservation strategies to stretch our current supply of fluids as much as possible.