MARION, N.C. — A major IV supplier based in western North Carolina has been shut down for weeks since Hurricane Helene hit the area, causing far-reaching impacts across the country. The shutdown is forcing hospitals in the U.S. to ration their supplies.
"It's certainly something that's affecting hospitals across the United States," said Christopher Chamberlain with the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania.
Baxter International operates 20 plants in the United States, but one located in Marion, North Carolina, is especially crucial. According to the American Hospital Association, it supplies sixty percent of the nation’s IV bags. Its prolonged closure is putting many in the medical field on edge.
"Looking at elective procedures and elective surgeries, we may need to postpone them for now," Chamberlain said. "The challenge is those are short-term strategies."
Locally, Cone Health is already feeling the strain.
"Like hospitals across the country, Cone Health is taking steps to conserve the use of IV fluids," said Doug Allred, a Cone Health spokesperson, in a statement to WFMY News 2. "These steps include finding substitutes where available and having patients take medications orally when possible."
A statewide hospital advocacy group, the North Carolina Healthcare Association, is also raising concerns about the Baxter facility's closure. They stated, "Our members are concerned about the impact of the Baxter facility closure on hospitals both in North Carolina and across the country. We know that state and federal resources have been mobilized and are on site to get it back up and running as quickly as possible."
Baxter International reported that heavy rain and storm surge from Hurricane Helene flooded parts of the facility, badly damaging the plant and the bridge leading to it. The company has been cleaning the site and is working hard to limit disruptions to the supply chain.
In the meantime, doctors across the country are adapting to ensure patients remain hydrated.
“It means we have to change the way we do business and how we hydrate patients,” said Dr. Jonathan Stallkamp, Chief Medical Officer with Main Line Health. “We’re now encouraging a lot more patients to get a bottle of Gatorade.”
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