Health care and hospitals at fault

[nightfighter]

I am purposely not putting this in the political forum.

But I am going to point fingers and ask questions, albeit focused in a totally different direction.

If you (or a family member) have had health issues, surgery, or been hospitalized in the past couple of years, you know the costs we, and the insurance companies have been paying out for these services AND SUPPLIES. Given the annual flu season we experience every year, and the need for PPE in dealing with the annual flu, WHY IS THERE SUCH A SHORTAGE OF PPE ON HAND? How could these hospitals across this country be operating on skin thin supply margins? Again, we all know what the costs are.... Or should I rephrase it and say what we get billed... Who has been getting rich here? Where is the money? Why do we have to bail out these for profit hospitals that have been raping us for years??? Time to find out who has been overpaid in these hospitals. And it is not the healthcare workers...

Healthcare system is broken. And it takes a pandemic to force us to see who is really important in the daily workings of our collective lives. It isn't the celebrities and CEOs that are getting us through this. (Nope, they are counting their bank and investments, trying to not be seen) Only a handful, less than a dozen, of all professional athletes are making a positive difference in these times... And Brady telling me to reduce my sugar intake while promoting TB12 isn't one of them.

People working hard to make more sales of fairly priced products is absolutely the old American way. It is the greedy, gouging, cheating, do nothing executives that have created the mess the new America finds itself in. Again, the inequitable distribution of wealth is the root of many problems here.
IMHO.

[JohnR]

I would guess that the Emergency Management and Disaster Prep Officers have been asking for it and the Bean Counters have blocked it.

[spence]

Originally Posted by JohnR

I would guess that the Emergency Management and Disaster Prep Officers have been asking for it and the Bean Counters have blocked it.

This and how the pandemic has unfolded has made early countries like China who are large producers limit export of supplies.
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[Pete F.]

Every business in this country, almost without exception, runs on just in time inventory control.
Why given the cost control pressure put on hospitals would you think they are different.
Onsite inventory requires space and staff.
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[Fishpart]

I have been working as a contract manufacturer in the medical device industry for over 10 years. If you could see the regulatory barriers to entry, you would understand why things are so expensive and why people don't want to hold excess inventory. That being said, NY had the results of a study 10years or so old that said you need so many beds, ventilators.... and the State Government chose to spen on something else. In CA, Arnold had deployable hospitals with 2000 beds and equipment, his predecessors disassembled the kits and most of the equipment was disposed of ( probably sold for pennies on the dollar to foreign nations) and now they are asking for it to appear out of thin air... Our healtcare workers need PPE and I see folks shopping wasting it because they have no idea how to use it properly, bet they all have a stockpile at home..
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[nightfighter]

Originally Posted by Fishpart

I have been working as a contract manufacturer in the medical device industry for over 10 years. If you could see the regulatory barriers to entry, you would understand why things are so expensive and why people don't want to hold excess inventory.
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Hi, Ed. Long time. Too long...

If you have time to expound on this, I will definitely have time to read. I'm interested in the regulatory barrier piece.

[zimmy]

Hospitals and clinics just can't be expected to stockpile the amount of equipment that a pandemic like this requires. That is why there is a strategic national stockpile. It is not much different than how a hurricane requires a federal response. The feds have known that the stockpile was grossly understocked for awhile now. They also know that our bridges are disasters waiting to happen. Easier to ignore it and blame someone else when the time comes.
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[scottw]

Originally Posted by Fishpart

That being said, NY had the results of a study 10years or so old that said you need so many beds, ventilators.... and the State Government chose to spen on something else. In CA, Arnold had deployable hospitals with 2000 beds and equipment, his predecessors disassembled the kits and most of the equipment was disposed of ( probably sold for pennies on the dollar to foreign nations) and now they are asking for it to appear out of thin air... Our healtcare workers need PPE and I see folks shopping wasting it because they have no idea how to use it properly, bet they all have a stockpile at home..
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there was a guy driving his car alone, at a stoplight next to me the other day wearing a surgical mask and blue latex gloves......I'm not sure if he was trying to prevent his car from infecting him or or if he was preventing himself from infecting his car


the 2019-2020 Influenza season in NY was has been a record season for illnesses, hospitalizations etc., you'd think considering this and past events in NY and particularly NYC there would be a better level of preparedness..if NY is this susceptible to Influenza WITH vaccinations should we be surprised at the numbers for a new, stubborn virus with no vaccination?

FEB 22
"Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the total number of flu cases in New York State has eclipsed the record number of seasonal cases since the New York State Department of Health began tracking flu cases during the 1998-99 season."


Influenza Prevention Guidelines (sound familiar?)

Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.

Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

Stay home when you are sick.

Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.

Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

For additional information about influenza in New York State, visit the Department of Health web page.

[zimmy]

The feds also shipped 18 tons of ppe to China in February, said there was no concern of a pandemic here and we had it totally under control.
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[Fishpart]

Had a lengthy response prepared, but deleted it after I "thought" I posted it. Think of a Med Device as a vanStall reel built in an aircraft shop with lots of extra engineers and managers around to support the FAA requirements as opposed to a Penn reel that just needs to meet specifications, it costs more just to keep the doors open. It probably takes a couple of years of developing a document control system (with associated staffing and outside 3rd party audit assistance) that can pass a FDA audit. Tightly controlled processes that are documented to prove you can make and measure products to spec, trial runs of unsaleable parts using production resources. FDA auditing you as a manufacturer every couple of years tying up your staff for days or weeks and possibly fining you. Maintaining device history records securely for the "life" of the product.. Some medical devices are made in 10's to 1000's rather than multiple millions..

[zimmy]

A friend's wife works for a local hospital. They received 30 ventilators from the feds. Not a single one functions.
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[Jenn]

Originally Posted by JohnR

I would guess that the Emergency Management and Disaster Prep Officers have been asking for it and the Bean Counters have blocked it.

I have a friend that works Emergency Management in a hospital and honestly while they try their best to prepare for all situations it's just impossible to be ready, staffed and fully stocked for EVERY scenario. I DO think the n95 mask thing might be a little suspect...plenty of places to buy them and heroes to donate them but that hospitals can't buy themselves? I call a little B.S on that one!