Medical device manufacturer Baxter provided an update after closing its largest manufacturing facility due to the impact of flooding brought on by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina.
The company’s North Cove facility in Marion, N.C. employs more than 2,500 people. The site primarily makes intravenous and peritoneal dialysis solutions. Baxter said it’s the largest manufacturer of these solutions in the United States. But it’s been shut down since the rain and storm surge from Hurricane Helene resulted in water permeating the facility.
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Baxter said it’s working hard to bring the factory back online but it doesn’t have a specific date for when North Cove operations will resume. The company said it’s navigating several components in the recovery process given the nature of sterile drug manufacturing.
Like many in the community, the company’s employees have experienced devastating personal impact from the storm. Baxter said it has established contact with the vast majority of its more than 2,500 colleagues and it’s actively working to confirm the well-being of the remaining employees. However, cell phone access continues to be an issue in the area.
Baxter said it has established an employee assistance center a few miles from our plant where it is offering employees access to generators, laundry machines, showers and basic supplies, including food, water and toiletries. It’s are also offering onsite counseling and financial assistance options, including Baxter’s Employee Disaster Relief Fund to help with personal property damage and emergency expenses.
Baxter said it already has remediation firms already on site with approximately 500 hundred workers in action, and it expects this number to double in the week ahead.
“As shared in our press release, bridges to our site were damaged in the storm. One access point requires re-establishing the County-maintained bridge. This will allow us to both transport remediation equipment to the site and get some finished goods that were stored in trailers and not impacted by the storm to our customers and patients. Our team has worked diligently to establish a temporary bridge to support limited transfers and, with tremendous support from state and local officials, ASPR and FEMA, we expect a permanent bridge will be installed by the Army Corps of Engineers and North Carolina Department of Transportation in the coming weeks,” the company wrote in an update.
To support supply continuity, Baxter said it has implemented allocations to help ensure it is appropriately managing our inventory and minimizing disruption to patient care.
“That means that after review and consideration of available inventory and the medical necessity of the impacted products, a specific limit on what a customer can order has been implemented. This allocation helps limit stockpiling and increases the likelihood of equitable access to available products. The current allocation includes saline, dextrose and PD solution products manufactured in all sizes,” the company wrote. “Working with FDA, we will also leverage Baxter’s global manufacturing network to help mitigate potential supply impact as we continue efforts to restore North Cove’s manufacturing operations. Additional information on product availability is being communicated directly to our customers, distributors and the Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs). While healthcare practitioners should use their professional judgment in assessing the needs and resources of their individual organizations and patients, our Medical Affairs team is also offering support and resources to assist in product management and conservation actions.”