[teejers1]

Incidentally, stories like this evidence, in part, for why divisions are emerging: the feds are literally forcing hospital administrations to import PPE as if they are running a blockade in order to get necessary equipment for their healthcare providers.
[tweet]https://twitter.com/dwallacewells/status/1251922312770748417?s=20[/tweet]

Here's a snippet of the most interesting part from the New England Journal of Medicine letter writer:

 It’s worth reading the correspondence, written by an executive running a small health system, at some length:

Our supply-chain group has worked around the clock to secure gowns, gloves, face masks, goggles, face shields, and N95 respirators. These employees have adapted to a new normal, exploring every lead, no matter how unusual. Deals, some bizarre and convoluted, and many involving large sums of money, have dissolved at the last minute when we were outbid or outmuscled, sometimes by the federal government. Then we got lucky, but getting the supplies was not easy. . . .

Hours before our planned departure, we were told to expect only a quarter of our original order. We went anyway, since we desperately needed any supplies we could get. Upon arrival, we were jubilant to see pallets of KN95 respirators and face masks being unloaded. We opened several boxes, examined their contents, and hoped that this random sample would be representative of the entire shipment. Before we could send the funds by wire transfer, two Federal Bureau of Investigation agents arrived, showed their badges, and started questioning me. No, this shipment was not headed for resale or the black market. The agents checked my credentials, and I tried to convince them that the shipment of PPE was bound for hospitals. After receiving my assurances and hearing about our health system’s urgent needs, the agents let the boxes of equipment be released and loaded into the trucks. But I was soon shocked to learn that the Department of Homeland Security was still considering redirecting our PPE. Only some quick calls leading to intervention by our congressional representative prevented its seizure. I remained nervous and worried on the long drive back, feelings that did not abate until midnight, when I received the call that the PPE shipment was secured at our warehouse.

In this instance, the executive managed to secure the supplies, but what is most horrifying about his account is that this experience was not all that surprising to him — he expected interference from federal officials, and did everything he could (including staging the shipment in food-service trucks to avoid detection) to get around that interference.

And we wonder why there's a catastrophic shortage of PPE and dissatisfied governors. Reminds me of that old aphorism, "Lead, follow, or get out of the way."

First of all, I'm fascinated by the tweets you share here - wonder what your search threshold is.

Second, the boxed story is an almost horrifying story.  But the health provider received its PPE.  Maybe there is some grand conspiracy/blockade going on, but the part you highlighted doesn't show that . . . does it?

And BTW - and I'm in no way saying this is related to your story - but let me ask you this:  should there be any effort (state or federal) to try and ensure that PPEs are distributed in some equitable fashion to the end facilities?  Or should it just be first-come, first served?  Or whoever can pay the most, fastest?

I mean, I'm down on hoarders at the grocery store; and do not believe hoarding by medical facilities is much better, at least in theory.

[teejers1]

Incidentally, stories like this evidence, in part, for why divisions are emerging: the feds are literally forcing hospital administrations to import PPE as if they are running a blockade in order to get necessary equipment for their healthcare providers.
[tweet]https://twitter.com/dwallacewells/status/1251922312770748417?s=20[/tweet]

Here's a snippet of the most interesting part from the New England Journal of Medicine letter writer:

 It’s worth reading the correspondence, written by an executive running a small health system, at some length:

Our supply-chain group has worked around the clock to secure gowns, gloves, face masks, goggles, face shields, and N95 respirators. These employees have adapted to a new normal, exploring every lead, no matter how unusual. Deals, some bizarre and convoluted, and many involving large sums of money, have dissolved at the last minute when we were outbid or outmuscled, sometimes by the federal government. Then we got lucky, but getting the supplies was not easy. . . .

Hours before our planned departure, we were told to expect only a quarter of our original order. We went anyway, since we desperately needed any supplies we could get. Upon arrival, we were jubilant to see pallets of KN95 respirators and face masks being unloaded. We opened several boxes, examined their contents, and hoped that this random sample would be representative of the entire shipment. Before we could send the funds by wire transfer, two Federal Bureau of Investigation agents arrived, showed their badges, and started questioning me. No, this shipment was not headed for resale or the black market. The agents checked my credentials, and I tried to convince them that the shipment of PPE was bound for hospitals. After receiving my assurances and hearing about our health system’s urgent needs, the agents let the boxes of equipment be released and loaded into the trucks. But I was soon shocked to learn that the Department of Homeland Security was still considering redirecting our PPE. Only some quick calls leading to intervention by our congressional representative prevented its seizure. I remained nervous and worried on the long drive back, feelings that did not abate until midnight, when I received the call that the PPE shipment was secured at our warehouse.

In this instance, the executive managed to secure the supplies, but what is most horrifying about his account is that this experience was not all that surprising to him — he expected interference from federal officials, and did everything he could (including staging the shipment in food-service trucks to avoid detection) to get around that interference.

And we wonder why there's a catastrophic shortage of PPE and dissatisfied governors. Reminds me of that old aphorism, "Lead, follow, or get out of the way."

First of all, I'm fascinated by the tweets you share here - wonder what your search threshold is.

Second, the boxed story is an almost horrifying story.  But the health provider received its PPE.  Maybe there is some grand conspiracy/blockade going on, but the part you highlighted doesn't show that . . . does it?

And BTW - and I'm in no way saying this is related to your story - but let me ask you this:  should there be any effort (state or federal) to try and ensure that PPEs are distributed in some equitable fashion to the end facilities?  Or should it just be first-come, first served?  Or whoever can pay the most, fastest?

I mean, I'm down on hoarders at the grocery store; and do not believe hoarding by medical facilities is much better, at least in theory.