Supply Chain
Various hospital challenges are feeding off each other as three out of four hospitals treat patients with coronavirus symptoms, OIG report says.
Providers continue to face critical shortages of critical care staff, ventilators, masks and other personal protection equipment.
Half of U.S. physicians say they have treated a patient with COVID-19 symptoms, while three-quarters report not being able to test easily.
With COVID-19 spreading, Trump has suggested that the increase in demand for supplies may not be due solely to the virus.
The recommendations center on redirecting the supply of the drugs from retail pharmacy settings to the hospital/acute care environment.
The coronavirus is causing hospitals to ramp up for a surge of cases while having to give up elective procedures that sustain their revenue.
The Department of Defense is releasing up to 2,000 ventilators and is making available up to 5 million N95 face masks from reserves.
If there's one silver lining, it's that, while the coronavirus has had a significant global impact, it's not as deadly as SARS or MERS.
Only 36% of vendors said they would immediately notify providers if they had a breach that involved PHI or other sensitive information.
During January and February, demand for N95 face masks surged, up 400% and 585%, respectively.