Northwestern Medical Center is committed to our mission of providing exceptional care for our community.

Part of exceptional care is transparent communication with our patients, including conditions created by factors outside of our control. NMC is issuing the following public statement to ensure your awareness and understanding of a current supply chain issue that may impact your care.

Due to severe supply chain disruption, all hospitals in the US are experiencing a critical shortage of IV contrast material, called Omnipaque. This agent is used to make blood vessels visible during a CT scan and aid in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism, dissecting aortic aneurysm, and other potential disruptions of the vascular system such as those that could occur in a motor vehicle crash.

Our Diagnostic Imaging Department’s ability to perform these tests in all but the most emergent cases will be limited until these supply chain issues get better. This shortage is expected to last through June 2022. During these next several weeks, you may hear your healthcare provider explaining why they are ordering an alternative test which could be more expensive and take longer to schedule.

NMC will do our best to exhaust all alternative contrast options and take other approaches when necessary. We appreciate your patience during this supply chain disruption.