Like hospitals around the country, Northwestern Medical Center (NMC) is navigating the potential shortage of IV solution supplies, a problem caused by the incapacitation of a Baxter facility in Asheville, NC during Hurricane Helene.

This week, the University of Vermont Health Network announced that it would reschedule certain elective procedures as a result of the nationwide fluid shortage.

UVMMC is rescheduling procedures that require large amounts of IV and sterile irrigation fluid between Friday, October 25 and Friday, November 1.

NMC’s Incident Command team has been discussing the possibility of rescheduling elective procedures, with the aim of implementing conservation measures to avoid that disruption in care.

The team huddles every morning to review NMC’s supplies, monitoring usage and delivery of fluids received. The group also meets twice a week with the nurse leaders to review usage and conservation of fluids implemented in every unit including the Emergency Department, Surgery, the Progressive Care Unit, the Family Birth Center and the outpatient clinics.

So far, NMC’s actions have prevented any delay or disruption in care, but Incident Command will continue to monitor the situation very closely.