While Florence continues to dump heavy rain on its journey up and ultimately off the eastern shoreline, the worst of her wrath may be behind us for now. But, the storm’s aftermath in the hardest hit areas of the Carolinas has left catastrophic flooding, making major roads impassable and leaving countless people stranded.
Vizient is familiar with the issues that natural disasters can create for our member hospitals. So when news of impending Hurricane Florence, as well as Isaac in the Caribbean and Olivia in Hawaii was first reported, advance preparations were made to assist members who would likely be impacted by the storms.
“To minimize obstacles in the delivery of patient care, our first priority is to facilitate communication between hospitals and vendors,” said Christi Guess, senior director, member input and clinical solutions for Vizient.
Vizient implemented its disaster response protocol, which includes establishing a direct and real-time line of communication with the field team in the affected areas, collecting information from distributors and suppliers, including their level of preparedness and any expected disruptions in the delivery of supplies. This vital information, along with other valuable resources and tools, is constantly being updated and can be found on the Vizient Disaster Preparedness page.
“As a vital intermediary between our members and our contracted suppliers, we stand ready to lend aid in whatever capacity we are able,” concluded Guess.
Want to learn more? Read this recent article about how your organization can prepare for a pharmacy system disruption or last year’s blog about planning for natural disasters.