ABSTRACT
In the beginning of the crisis, the healthcare supply chain was particularly highlighted because of daily stories in the media about shortages in personal protective equipment for clinicians and a critical shortage of ventilators and even oxygen for patients. In a typical health system, the supply chain encompasses the second-largest expense after labor, with some predicting that it will soon eclipse labor expense. Healthcare supply chain leaders who are already part of the C-suite, or who aspire to making their position considered worthy of the C-level, all look beyond a focus on the supply chain basics of getting the right product to the right place at the right time at the right price. Systems that have a more comprehensive strategy around implantable medical devices attempt to be more scientific and evidence-based—researching the available literature and working with physicians to study the products to understand how they're used and how they perform.
