Tampa General Hospital (TGH) is frequently in the path of tropical storms and hurricanes. To prevent the impact of potential rising tides and storm surges, the 1,040-bed academic health system on Davis Islands — housing the region’s only Level I Trauma Center — has an innovative barrier system that can be raised to provide a protective wall around the campus, helping to prevent flooding and ensure ongoing care.

On the Monday before the storm, “we all got on a call to discuss our process” for ensuring that TGH had sufficient medical supplies, said Lawrence “Larry” Randall, director of operations at Medline’s Auburndale, Florida distribution center. Medline, TGH’s prime vendor supplier, provided four deliveries on Monday, August 28, and was scheduled to make two “fill-in” deliveries the following day. However, as the forecast evolved to a possible Category 4 direct hit, the timeline for engaging the flood barrier was accelerated.

“We had one hour to get two truckloads of supplies to the hospital,” said Deanne Hennessee, Medline acute care sales rep, who credited teamwork among the hospital supply chain staff, Medline’s MedTrans drivers and the Auburndale distribution center with ensuring the successful delivery within the shortened window.

A ‘full collaborative effort’

“It was a full collaborative effort by all parties,” Randall said.

By late Wednesday afternoon, regular deliveries resumed, said Hennessee. “We didn’t skip a beat.”

At the same time, the AquaFence^TM— designed to withstand a storm surge of up to 15 feet above sea level — prevented flooding, power remained on during and after the storm, and care continued without interruption, according to TGH.

In an email to staff and partners, TGH Vice President of Supply Chain Mark W. Campbell, FACHE, CMRP, lauded hospital staff “for the planning, preparation and execution this week. I can’t think of anything we would have done differently and critical supplies were in place wherever they were needed.”

Medline delivers ‘each and every time’

Campbell also specifically called out Medline: “There are only a few suppliers we truly consider strategic partners but you are one of them. Thank you and the entire Medline team for delivering (literally) when you said you would each and every time. You are an integral part of the planning and decision-making process and our plan and execution were excellent. Please pass along our appreciation to all team members, especially at the Auburndale warehouse. They do not move boxes, they place critical supplies in the hands of our caregivers so they can care for patients, every day.”

“This story is about communication and teamwork,” said Hennessee. “They’re a great customer and it was just all-around great communication.” She also credited the Auburndale team: “They don’t necessarily get the recognition they deserve. We had a job to do and our job was to get the customer products. Everyone pulled together.”

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