HCA Healthcare Invests in Domestic Production of PPE
January 21 2021 - 8:30AM
Business Wire
New business to manufacture surgical and
procedure masks and diversify supply chain
HCA Healthcare (NYSE: HCA), one of the nation’s leading
healthcare providers, today announced that it has entered into a
new joint venture business with A Plus International Inc. (A Plus),
a global manufacturer of healthcare products, to expand access to
personal protective equipment (PPE) by manufacturing surgical and
procedure masks in the United States. Under the partnership,
production of Level 1 and Level 3 masks meeting American Society
for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards for quality and safety
is expected to begin in early 2021 from a manufacturing center in
Asheville, North Carolina.
Investment in the new business entity will initially be funded
equally by HCA Healthcare Mission Fund, LLC, an affiliate of HCA
Healthcare, and A Plus. The new business entity is part of HCA
Healthcare’s continued effort to support healthcare workers and
address the global demand for PPE. HCA Healthcare’s 2020 spending
for PPE increased by more than $196 million from 2019.
“The recent surge in demand for PPE due to the pandemic has
underscored how dependent we have been on supplies from overseas
and the importance of working to diversify our supply chain,” said
Dr. Jonathan Perlin, president, clinical operations group, and
chief medical officer of HCA Healthcare. “We are thrilled to join
forces with the expertise of A Plus on this new business which is
focused on domestic manufacturing of PPE so that we can continue to
support our caregivers on the front line.”
HCA Healthcare’s investment in the business is being funded
through the HCA Healthcare Mission Fund, an innovation fund created
following HCA Healthcare’s purchase of Mission Health to support
healthcare-related businesses in Western North Carolina. The new
business’ headquarters and production facility will be located on
one of Mission Health’s campuses in Asheville and will bring
skilled jobs to the area.
“Asheville has a diverse and skilled workforce with the
experience to produce these important protective supplies that keep
caregivers safe,” said Greg Lowe, president of HCA Healthcare’s
North Carolina Division. “Thanks to the HCA Healthcare Mission
Fund, we are honored to welcome this new business to our campus,
and we are excited for the job opportunities for our
community.”
Supporting the supply chain of hospitals and non-acute
providers, HealthTrust, a global leader in purchasing aggregation
and performance improvement for healthcare, will co-manage the
joint venture with A Plus. HealthTrust’s wholly owned subsidiary,
Resource Optimization & Innovation (ROi), will serve as the
distribution partner for the business, providing access to PPE
inventories to HealthTrust member organizations throughout the
U.S.
About HCA Healthcare Nashville-based HCA Healthcare is
one of the nation’s leading providers of healthcare services
comprising more than 2,000 sites of care, including 187 hospitals,
surgery centers, freestanding ERs, urgent care centers, and
physician clinics, in 21 states and the United Kingdom. With its
founding in 1968, HCA Healthcare created a new model for hospital
care in the United States, using combined resources to strengthen
hospitals, deliver patient-focused care and improve the practice of
medicine. HCA Healthcare has conducted a number of clinical
studies, including one that demonstrated that full-term delivery is
healthier than early elective delivery of babies and another that
identified a clinical protocol that can reduce bloodstream
infections in ICU patients by 44 percent. HCA Healthcare is a
learning health system that uses its more than 35 million annual
patient encounters to advance science, improve patient care and
save lives. Please click here to connect with HCA Healthcare on
social media.
All references to “Company,” “HCA” and “HCA
Healthcare” as used throughout this document refer to HCA
Healthcare, Inc. and its affiliates.
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