Ste. Genevieve, MO. Ste. Genevieve County Memorial Hospital (SGCMH) may experience an IV fluid shortage due to a shutdown at the Baxter’s North Cove plant located in Marion, NC. The North Cove plant, the largest IV solutions plant in the US has experienced severe flooding from Hurricane Helene and it will impact the supply chain.
This Baxter facility is a critical supplier of intravenous and peritoneal dialysis solutions, producing approximately 60% of the IV solutions used by US hospitals. Baxter is actively working on remediation efforts and exploring alternative production sites to mitigate the impact. Some alternative vendors have put customers on allocation for protective reasons but intend to ramp up production to mitigate these challenges.
To handle a possible shortage, SGCMH will take immediate action to make sure supplies are there for our patients. The hospital will defer elective surgeries scheduled for the next two weeks. These procedures will be rescheduled as soon as possible. IV supplies will be prioritized for oncology infusions, emergency patients and expectant mothers. Clinical staff will continue to evaluate inventory and clinical needs daily to optimize fluid management and work to identify alternative vendors for solutions and continuously monitor the situation with Baxter.
“We will do all we can to minimize any impact to patient care caused by the shortage of IV fluids,” stated Dr. Steve Pautler, CEO, Ste. Genevieve County Memorial Hospital, “working constantly to get supplies, monitor and evaluate the situation with the best interest of our patients in mind.”
Regular updates will be provided to patients, their families and the community to keep them informed.
For more information about SGCMH and its clinics visit stegenevievehospital.org.
Ste. Genevieve County Memorial Hospital is a nonprofit county owned community hospital that works to continue to improve the health and well-being of the community. Our professional staff uses advanced technology and medicine to provide excellent, personalized, and compassionate healthcare. For more information on Ste. Genevieve County Memorial Hospital, visit stegenevievehospital.org.