11 Nov Innovations and Challenges in Global Supply Chains
June 10, 2019 – Most Americans are unaware of the various aspects of the healthcare supply chain that allow patients to maintain their health and obtain vital treatments. This is why we’re excited to launch our latest initiative, Heroes of the Supply Chain. This initiative will highlight the critical, behind-the-scenes work that often goes unnoticed across the supply chain. These heroes don’t often get the recognition they deserve, so our goal is to shine a light on the life-saving initiatives, partnerships, and solutions that play a key role in ensuring that patients’ needs are met. Many patients don’t know how connected their wellbeing is to the work of our partners and the supply chain itself. With patients at the core of our mission, these stories will outline exceptional response efforts within the healthcare supply chain and the ongoing work these heroes do in between disasters as the invisible backbone of the healthcare system.
The foundation of Healthcare Ready is a prime example of how stakeholders at all levels of the supply chain coordinate to create a more effective and resilient disaster response system. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2007, Healthcare Ready was formed by members of the biopharmaceutical supply chain to address the need for improved coordination during disasters. Why? Because the response to Katrina uncovered gaps in this country’s ability to ensure resiliency within the supply chain. As we curate stories that demonstrate how the healthcare supply chain supports disaster response, we recognize that Healthcare Ready’s story is inseparable from how healthcare resilience in this country is improved through the supply chain.
The Heroes of the Supply Chain resource hub will include stories and educational materials on the biopharmaceutical supply chain, both in times of peace and during disasters. This will help promote a better understanding of the work that goes on before, during, and after crises. The stories will illustrate how organizations across the supply chain have provided generous donations and implemented programs to bridge gaps between patients and care amid disasters. Our hope is that these stories and resources will paint a clearer picture of how all aspects of the supply chain are critical to preparing for and responding to the high-stakes disaster situations where patients’ lives are on the line. These stories will exemplify what it means to be a hero and ensure the supply chain is resilient in the face of disaster.
As we reflect on our own organizational origins and strive to leave a lasting legacy in the field of healthcare preparedness, Heroes will be an ongoing initiative, updated often to highlight the countless heroes who work around the clock to support patient needs.
We hope this effort spurs a national conversation about the role of the supply chain in public health and disaster preparedness. We welcome reactions and feedback from our members, partners, and supporters on the featured stories and hope to hear additional perspective on the goals of this effort.Check out Healthcare Ready’s What Makes a Hero? guidelines – do you have a qualifying story or know of one? Submit your story here.
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