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An important message from RAMC President & CEO, Bob Van Meeteren.
October 29, 2024To our valued community members,
As many of you have seen or read on the news, the national supply for IV fluids was affected by Hurricane Helene because Baxter Labs, located in North Carolina, was seriously damaged by the storm. Baxter Labs supplies 60% of the IV fluids in the US. They are quickly cleaning up and rebuilding and expect to be back to 100% capacity by January 1.
RAMC would like to provide answers to questions our communities are asking regarding the local impact of this and what we are doing as we prepare and respond to this situation.
Q: Is there a shortage of IV fluids?
A: The national supply of IV fluids has been affected, but every health care provider is conserving our resources and constantly monitoring the situation. The Baxter plant in North Carolina is a top priority for clean-up and restoration and they are working hard to meet the demand.
Q: I heard that some hospitals are cancelling surgeries.
A: RAMC, and other regional hospitals, are proactively managing inventories to assure we have the supplies necessary for our scheduled and emergency surgeries.
Q: I heard that RAMC is substituting Gatorade for IVs.
A: If a patients NEEDS an IV, they will get an IV.
A: Many hospitals, including RAMC, are using Gatorade and other electrolyte beverages for patients to re-hydrate after procedures when it is safe and appropriate to do so. Drinking electrolytes often achieves the same results as IV fluids in these circumstances.
Q: I heard that IV fluids are being shipped in from all over the world. Is RAMC using foreign fluids?
A: At this time, RAMC is using fluids that were produced at Baxter in North Carolina. Baxter is also working with their counterparts in Canada, the UK and Ireland to import some fluids.
Q: I heard that China is shipping fluids here. I’m not sure about Chinese fluids…
A: Baxter is not currently sending us fluids from China and RAMC will continue to monitor where the fluids are coming from.
If there are any questions we have not addressed, please feel free to reach out to us https://www.ramchealth.com/about/contact-us. Thank you!
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