Brenda Marie Rivers
The Department of Health and Human Services is looking to restructure a stockpile system to better manage medical assets and equipment meant to address current gaps in the supply chain.
HHS said in a SAM notice posted Friday that its Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response is soliciting proposals for an updated Strategic National Stockpile to help inform government efforts to meet demands amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The department said in its request for information that it also seeks to establish a supply chain information technology “control tower†to visualize the availability of supplies throughout supply-chain networks.
HHS intends to improve SNS coverage and leverage predictive analytics to forecast supply needs and ensure the sufficiency of assets for medical emergencies, the notice states.Â
According to the RFI, the updated system must deploy inventory management strategies and generate supply and demand insights in real-time.
In addition to the SNS overhaul, HHS also seeks industry input to inform government strategies for addressing the demand for critical assets such as ventilators, pharmaceuticals, testing supplies and personal protective equipment.
Responses to the RFI are due on June 29.
