Washington hospitals were alerted Friday after a notice from 3M that fake N95 masks were circulating in the national supply of personal protective equipment.
Debbie Cockrell: Tacoma health systems discover suspected counterfeit N95s in supplies amid statewide search
News Tribune, Tacoma, Wash. 2/9/2021 Debbie Cockrell, The News Tribune (Tacoma, Wash.)
Feb. 9 The Washington State Hospital Association on Monday offered an update on counterfeit 3M N95 respirators distributed to area hospitals, first discovered via a federal alert issued Friday.
Hospitals in Washington state have submitted masks to 3M for analysis. Over the weekend, according to WSHA, 3M confirmed that at least some of the masks were not made by the company.
According to the WSHA in a news release Monday, 3M has flagged several lot numbers as potentially used by counterfeiters; these lot numbers are among the stock purchased by Washington State hospitals and by the hospital association.
The Super Bowl trip was a very real surprise for some deserving health care heroes in Washington. Author: Chris Cashman Updated: 8:43 AM PST February 5, 2021
SEATTLE The Seattle Seahawks aren’t competing in the Super Bowl this year, but the team is sending a few worthy representatives.
The team announced they will send four health care workers to Super Bowl LV in Tampa Bay, Florida this weekend.
In a news release, the Seahawks said they want to “recognize their unwavering commitment to serving their community throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The four chosen representatives are employees of Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, the Seahawks health care partner.
Modern Healthcare Illustration / Getty Images
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced healthcare companies to rethink how they structure mergers and acquisitions, especially now that much of the work is happening remotely.
The once-in-a-lifetime crisis has changed the way providers discuss deals, write contracts and assess their potential partners. Remote meetings, COVID-19 recovery timelines and digital health capacity are a new, or bigger, part of the due diligence process.
What’s more: Health systems are doing it all while managing recurring waves of seriously ill COVID patients and the challenges of maintaining adequate staff and supplies during a pandemic.
“It was in many ways the ultimate example of changing the tires as you’re going down the freeway,” said Dr. Gary Kaplan, co-CEO of Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, a new system with $4 billion in annual revenue formed through the January merger of Seattle-based Virginia Mason and Tacoma, Wash.-based CHI Franciscan.