Supply Chain Stakeholders Urge White House Task Force To Prioritize Medical Supplies Throughout Transportation System

Health Industry Distributors Association, Advanced Medical Technology Association, and International Safety Equipment Association send letter to Secretaries of Commerce, Transportation, and Agriculture

Alexandria, VA, August 4, 2021 - HIDA, AdvaMed, and ISEA are urging the White House Supply Chain Disruption Task Force to discuss solutions to transportation delays hampering the supply chain’s COVID-19 response.

“It is critical that a process to prioritize important medical supplies be identified,” said HIDA President & CEO Matthew J. Rowan, who expressed concern in the letter that the rising COVID-19 cases combined with the upcoming flu season will further strain the transportation system. “Transportation disruptions have become a healthcare issue.”

The executives recommend that the task force convene healthcare and transportation stakeholders to focus on opportunities to:

• Develop a process prioritizing critical medical supplies and equipment during current and future pandemics
• Align transportation operations to support healthcare during public health emergencies

“The medical technology industry mobilized practically overnight to produce the tests and medical supplies and equipment necessary to fight COVID-19. Our industry remains ready as an uncertain fall approaches, but it’s every bit as critical that the various modes of transportation we rely on are ready as well,” said AdvaMed President & CEO Scott Whitaker. “We look forward to working with the Administration on how best to prioritize the transport of the medical supplies and equipment our healthcare providers and patients are depending on, particularly as we head into yet another unpredictable phase of the pandemic.”

“Prioritizing the transportation of essential PPE is vital to help protect those on the front line of this current pandemic and to ensure equipment is available for future emergencies,” said ISEA President & CEO Charles D. Johnson. “Healthcare providers should trust they will have the necessary protection when they need it.”

The full letter is available here.

HIDA is the industry trade association representing 107 distribution companies operating 500+ medical distribution centers across the care continuum nationwide. HIDA members deliver medical products and supplies, manage logistics, and offer customer services to virtually every healthcare provider. In 2020, they reliably delivered 51 billion units of PPE “the last mile” to providers.

AdvaMed is the leading trade organization representing more than 400 companies that produce the medical devices, diagnostic products, and health information systems necessary for earlier disease detection, less invasive procedures and more effective treatments. Member companies manufacture the personal protective equipment, ventilators, COVID-19 diagnostic tests, and the medical equipment necessary to deliver vaccines throughout this crisis.

ISEA is the association for safety equipment and technologies. For more than 85 years, ISEA has been the recognized leader in the development of performance standards for personal protective equipment (PPE), which protects more than 111.1 million workers across the U.S. Nationwide, the safety equipment industry supports 345,001 total jobs and generates more than $71.6 billion in economic activity. In 2020, the safety equipment industry paid $5 billion in federal taxes and nearly $4 billion in state taxes, for a total tax generation of $9 billion.