Medline & Hologic shortages: what hospitals are doing
Supply Chain Pulse — 2026-06-25
Disruptions to Medline and Hologic product lines are expected to persist through year-end — and hospitals are already making hard calls about substitutions, conservation protocols, and vendor diversification. Meanwhile, ocean freight isn't offering any relief: spot rates are still climbing and vessels are booked solid through at least July, meaning import-dependent supply chains stay under pressure. The outpatient care shift adds another layer — as health systems accelerate surgery and imaging volume outside the hospital, the supply chain footprint has to follow. If your contingency planning still has a Q3 horizon, it's time to extend it.
Quick Hits
- J&J is investing $1B to expand contact lens manufacturing, packaging, and distribution in Florida — a domestic capacity bet that could improve supply resilience for a high-volume consumable. (Supply Chain Dive - Healthcare)
- Healthmark launched a new lightweight AAMI Level 4 decontamination gown for sterile processing, targeting high-fluid environments where technician comfort and protection are both at stake. (Healthcare Purchasing News)
How hospitals are managing Medline, Hologic product shortages
Providers are navigating shortages of critical surgical and diagnostic supplies from two major vendors, with disruptions expected to persist through the end of 2025. Hospitals are deploying a mix of product substitutions, conservation protocols, and accelerated outreach to secondary suppliers to hold the line on procedure continuity. If you haven't already mapped your Medline and Hologic spend to backup contract options, this is the week to do it.
Ocean shipping recovery still a ways off despite US-Iran ceasefire pact
Despite diplomatic progress on the US-Iran ceasefire, freight analytics firm Xeneta reports spot rates are expected to keep climbing for another four weeks, with many vessels fully booked through at least July. For healthcare supply chain teams relying on imported devices, consumables, or raw materials, the window for cost-effective spot purchasing has not reopened. Build buffer stock assumptions through late summer — this recovery is moving in slow motion.
Source: Supply Chain Dive - Healthcare
How hospitals are outpacing rivals in the outpatient push
Health systems are aggressively expanding surgery, imaging, infusion, and rehab services in outpatient settings, driven by payer pressure, regulatory shifts, and competition from private equity-backed providers. For supply chain teams, this migration means managing a more distributed and complex fulfillment footprint — ASCs, MOBs, and infusion suites don't have the same logistics infrastructure as a hospital dock. Getting distribution contracts and par-level strategies right for these off-campus sites is becoming a competitive differentiator, not an afterthought.
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