Press Releases

Today, Congressman Tim Kennedy (NY-26) and healthcare leaders of Western New York called for strengthening and diversifying medical supply chains following an IV solution shortage due to Hurricane Helene. The category four storm caused significant damage to Baxter International’s North Cove manufacturing facility in Marion, North Carolina, a major manufacturer of dialysis solutions and IV fluids. 

“More frequent and severe weather events are making communities like ours vulnerable to supply chain issues—when those shortages affect medical supplies, the result can be dire,” said Congressman Kennedy. “I am urging manufacturers to strengthen their supply chains and evaluate the merits of diversifying production locations in order to deliver products like IV fluids that hospitals and patients rely on. In addition, I am asking the agencies responsible for maintaining our strategic stockpile to outline what more needs to be done to secure our stream of supplies, and evaluating what more Congress should be doing to better prepare for the future. Western New Yorkers’ lives depend on it.”

“As a former Occupational Therapist, Congressman Kennedy knows, firsthand, what it is like to work at the bedside and what is needed to take care of patients,” said Dr Michael Mineo, Chief, Medical Officer, Kaleida Health. “And now as our Congressman, he is leveraging that experience and the power of his office to advocate for Western New Yorkers in challenging times like this. By calling on the FDA, HHS and some of the large manufactures of IV products, Congressman Kennedy is helping ensure that our doctors, nurses, pharmacists and frontline staff have the tools needed to do their jobs. On behalf of our 13,000 employees and the thousands of patients that we take care of every day, we thank the Congressman for his support and advocacy on this important issue.”

“We are very grateful for Congressman Kennedy's advocacy on this critically important issue and his strong support of ECMC throughout his years of public service,” said Andrew L. Davis CPA, Chief Operating Officer, Erie County Medical Center Corporation. “We agree with Congressman Kennedy that we must prevent future shortages of vital resources like IVF that are essential to our ability to care for our patients and invest in supply chain resiliency to ensure that these types of disruptions do not occur again.”

“It is only through extraordinary teamwork, ingenuity and communication across our clinical, supply chain and leadership teams that we’ve been able to avoid negative impacts for patients,” said Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center Chief Medical Officer Dr. Julia Faller. “We are grateful to Congressman Kennedy for his leadership to ensure that care providers have what they need so they can keep their focus on providing great care.”

"Our healthcare workforce can serve patients best when it has the support and resources necessary to do the job,” said Peter De Jesús Jr., President, WNY Area Labor Federation, AFL-CIO. “I thank Congressman Kennedy for advocating for stronger medical supply chains, which will empower our region’s hospital and healthcare workers to deliver the quality of care that patients deserve.”

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: 

Following the IV fluid shortage, Congressman Kennedy sent a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration inquiring about the actions the agencies took to address the shortage about policy changes being made moving forward to ease future shortages. 

He also sent a letter to the three largest domestic manufacturers of IV fluids urging the companies to strengthen their supply chains and review the merits of diversifying production locations, especially in the face of more frequent and severe weather events. 

Finally, he requested that the Government Accountability Office issue a report with policy recommendations for Congress and our federal agencies to prevent future medical supply shortages caused by extreme weather or other disasters.

Rep. Kennedy is a member of the Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology, where he is focused on ensuring that hospitals in Western New York and across the country have the supplies they need to function in the face of emergencies and natural disasters. 

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