Rob Handfield Explains IV Fluid Shortage and Surgery Delays

A shortage of IV fluid is forcing hospitals across the country to conserve and even postpone surgeries and procedures after an IV fluid production facility in North Carolina was hit by the devastating floods from Hurricane Helene. Rob Handfield, a Poole professor of supply chain management, told NPR’s Marketplace that the supply chain for IV fluids is fragile.

“Health care is traditionally very price-focused,” Handfield said. “If the margins are very low, not a lot of people want to go into that business.”

Listen to the full episode from Marketplace.

This post was originally published in Poole Thought Leadership.