Novation Supports Hospitals' Infection Prevention and Influenza Programs; Shortage of IV Solutions in the U.S. Expected Through First Quarter

IRVING, Texas, Jan. 30, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- As the impact of influenza activity remains high across the United States, Novation, the leading health care supply chain expertise, analytics and contracting company is supporting the hospital members it serves through its robust infection prevention portfolio with new supplier agreements, alignment of resources and advocacy to resolve shortages of critical supplies to address the flu and other infections seen in hospitals.

Due to a worsening influenza season and manufacturing issues, hospitals across the country are, for what appears to be the first time during a flu season, facing a shortage of intravenous (IV) fluid.  Manufacturers are working to address the spike in demand, however, Novation advised the members it serves that it conservatively estimates a shortage of IV fluid will continue through the first quarter of 2014.  The FDA is also involved in the issue.

"Novation is pleased to see the supply of intravenous fluids beginning to steadily increase and that more information about the status of IV solutions is available, but this remains a serious situation," said Cathy Denning, RN, SVP, Sourcing Operations, Novation. "We are committed to advocating on behalf of the members we serve to help work through this situation with our contracted suppliers, as well as provide hospitals with the information and resources they need to address infection prevention overall."

Recently, Novation put a response team in place to serve as a resource for hospitals and provide a conduit for communications with suppliers.  The company is providing regular product updates to the hospital members it serves via its website and conference calls, and created a special email address for hospitals experiencing the most critical shortages ([email protected]).  The company also is encouraging hospitals not experiencing IV fluid shortages to continue ordering at normal levels to help ongoing availability for health care providers. Novation will continue to proactively monitor availability of these products as well as other key products that prevent the spread of infections.

Novation's infection prevention portfolio today includes about 70 national agreements covering the most critical items that hospitals need to fight against infections. This broad range of contracts enables hospitals to lower costs, increase quality of care and improve patient outcomes while utilizing some of the most widely used products in the health care supply chain. In addition to providing contracted products, Novation also provides clinical support tools and educational resources that help to increase awareness and prevent some of the most challenging clinical issues facing hospitals today.

As part of its broader infection prevention program, Novation's national contract portfolio includes all the necessary products that hospital members need including high volume use supplies:  facial protection, personal protective apparel, exam gloves, surface disinfection and hand hygiene. In addition, Novation recently announced a new agreement –the first NOVAPLUS® hand-hygiene contract – with Kimberly Clark (NYSE: KMB) for Kleenex and Scott® hand hygiene products providing members savings of up to 20 percent.

Novation-served members can access more information about the resources available for seasonal influenza and pandemic preparedness through the Marketplace|Procure site via www.novationco.com. More information about the 2013-14 influenza season can be found via the CDC's website at http://cdc.gov/flu/about/season.

About Novation, Winner of the Ethics Inside® Certification

Founded in 1998, Novation is the leading health care supply chain expertise, analytics and contracting company for the more than 100,000 members and affiliates of VHA Inc. and UHC, two national health care alliances, Children's Hospital Association, an alliance of the nation's leading pediatric facilities, and Provista, LLC. Novation provides alliance members with sourcing services, as well as information and data services. Based in Irving, Texas, Novation develops and manages competitive contracts with more than 600 suppliers. VHA, UHC, and Provista members used Novation contracts to purchase approximately $43 billion in 2012. Novation has earned the coveted Ethics Inside® Certification from Ethisphere Institute, a leading international think tank dedicated to the research and promotion of best practices in corporate ethics and compliance. Novation also was named on Ethisphere's World's Most Ethical Companies list, and is the only company in the health care industry to earn both distinctions for two consecutive years. To learn more about Novation, please visit www.novationco.com and follow @NovationNews.

SOURCE Novation