Cardinal Health, Inc. announced its Strategic Stock Solution now serves nearly 40 hospitals and health systems nationwide, just one year after its launch. October last year, the U.S. healthcare system faced what was one of the deadliest surges of the pandemic to date. As health systems began placing massive orders for COVID-19 supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE), Cardinal Health acted with urgency to create its Strategic Stock Solution, now a critical blueprint for pandemic preparedness which gives customers the ability to order and store supplies in a Cardinal Health warehouse and provides product shipping within 72 hours of request. How it works: Company's Strategic Stock Solution solves for several challenges: First, health systems need a way to make purchasing decisions based on real data, so they know exactly what supplies – and how much – to order. Using customer data from the first COVID-19 outbreak, Cardinal Health created a pandemic blueprint with 44 products that experienced significant demand spikes during COVID-19, all grouped into four major categories based on use: Treat (artificial airway accessories, bronchoscopes, ventilator accessories, nebulizer accessories and more); Protect (wipes, hand sanitizer, lab coats, eye shields/visors, isolation gowns and more); Diagnose (medical thermometers, swab collection, pulse oximeter units and more) and Vaccinate (syringes, needles and more). Uniquely positioned to be a strategic stock partner: As a distributor and medical products manufacturer, company's scale and supply chain expertise put it in a unique position to develop this solution. In addition to having been selected by the U.S. Department of Health and Human services to support the Strategic National Stockpile, Cardinal Health has helped health systems navigate the intricacies of ordering, storing and receiving critical products throughout the pandemic: Cardinal Health interfaces with many hospitals' inventory and materials management systems, referred to as MMIS, to streamline ordering processes. The company tracks inventory using real-time and predictive analytics of product shelf life, usage and rotation within warehouses – and at the point-of-care with Cardinal HealthWaveMark™. It added nearly 1.5 million square feet to its regional replenishment centers (RC) – 1 million of which was a brand-new facility in Channahon, Illinois, for customer-owned inventory specifically for Strategic Stock Solution. Cardinal Health manages shipping for worldwide deliveries of pandemic stockpile supplies, including same-day shipping services, time-critical and temperature-controlled delivery management, fixed pricing for outbound shipments, and real-time visibility and tracking for shipments across the continuum of care via OptiFreight® Logistics. Overall, Strategic Stock Solution has allowed customers to resume procedures while providing them with increased supply chain resiliency and efficiency as well as increased proactive supply chain visibility. It also has prepared customers for ongoing manufacturer backorders and manufacturer product allocations.