>> CATHY: HURRICANE HELENE DEVASTATED HALF A DOZEN STATES ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST, BUT ITS IMPACT IS BEING FELT ACROSS THE COUNTRY DUE TO A NATIONWIDE SHORTAGE OF I.V.

FLUID.

A NORTH CAROLINA FACILITY THAT PRODUCES ALMOST 2/3 OF THE U.S. SUPPLY OF THE CRUCIAL MEDICAL SOLUTION IS NOW INOPERABLE AFTER INTENSE FLOODING DUE TO THE STORM.

NON-EMERGENCY PROCEDURES ARE BEING WIDELY POSTPONED OR CANCELLED DURING THE SHORTAGE.

DR. RAHUL KORANNE HEADS UP THE MINNESOTA HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION.

IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.

WELCOME BACK.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>> Cathy: HOW WIDESPREAD ARE THESE CANCELLATIONS IN MINNESOTA?

>> I WOULD SAY THE CONDITION YELLATIONS HAVE NOT BEEN WIDESPREAD.

ONLY A COUPLE OF HOSPITALS HAVE HAD TO CANCEL PROCEDURES AND THAT TOO, THOSE NONEMERGENT, NONURGENT ONES LIKE JOINT SURGERIES.

THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT BAXTER DID INCREASE ITS PRODUCTIONS AND ARE GETTING SOME MORE I.V.

FLUIDS FROM ACROSS THE OTHER PRODUCTION SITES.

WE DID START GETTING SOME MORE SHIPMENTS FROM BAXTER YESTERDAY.

AND SOME OF THOSE POSTPONED SURGERIES NOW ARE GETTING RESTARTED AND SO THAT'S GOOD NEWS FOR PATIENTS.

HOWEVER, WE ARE NOT OUT OF THE WOODS YET.

BECAUSE PROPERTY TAX BETTER TOLD US THAT TO GET BACK TO 100% OF PRODUCTION, THAT COULD BE UNTIL THE END OF THIS YEAR.

SO I THINK WE ARE STILL NOT OUT OF THE WOODS.

>> Eric: ADVICE TO PATIENTS?

>> I WOULD SAY, BE PATIENT, PLEASE.

OUR CARE TEAMS ARE WORKING 24/7.

HUNDREDS OF HOSPITAL LEADERS AND STAFF HAVE BEEN CONVENED.

EVERY DAY THIS MORNING THEY WERE ALMOST 200 STAFF ON THE CALL.

SHARING BEST PRACTICES, HOW TO CONSERVE I.V.

FLUIDS.

SO FIRST REQUEST IS PLEASE BE PATIENT WITH YOUR CARE TEAMS AND I JUST DON'T MEAN NURSES, PHYSICIANS, BUT ALSO THE SCHEDULERS THAT CALL YOU.

WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN OVER THE WEEKEND AND IN THE COMING WEEKS TO TRY TO RESCHEDULE YOU, TRY TO GET YOU BACK.

PLEASE BE PATIENT.

NUMBER TWO, GIVEN THAT BAXTER SAYS THIS COULD STILL BE FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS, WE ARE GOING TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO CONSERVE FLUIDS.

MAKE YOU DRINK FLUIDS IF YOU ARE SAFE TO DO THAT.

CHILDREN'S HOSPITALS ARE GETTING 100% OF THE SUPPLY SO THAT'S REALLY GOOD NEWS FOR OUR KIDS, THOSE THAT ARE PATIENTS.

BUT RIGHT NOW, PLEASE BE PATIENT.

AND THEN THE OTHER THING, I WOULD BE REMISS TO SAY, THANK YOU SO MUCH TO OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION AND ESPECIALLY SENATOR AMY KLOBUCHAR, SHE JUMPED RIGHT IN LAST WEEKEND, DIRECTLY CALLED H.H.S.

SECRETARY, WALZ-FLANAGAN ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN SUPER IN HELPING US AND A.G.'S OFFICE.

SO REALLY APPRECIATE THE FEDERAL AND STATE AGENCIES JUMPING IN AS WE DO EVERYTHING WE CAN.

>> Cathy: YOU MENTIONED THE CONSERVATION OF FLUIDS, COULD THEY MAKE THEIR OWN I.V.

FLUIDS?

>> WELL, WE ARE TRYING TO, THAT'S CALLED COMPOUNDING AND THE F.D.A.

DID OPEN UP SOME OF THEIR RULES AROUND THAT GIVEN THE URGENT SITUATION WE ARE IN RIGHT NOW.

HOWEVER, HOSPITALS ARE CAREGIVERS.

WE ARE SO DEPENDENT UPON OUR MANUFACTURING SUPPLY CHAIN PARTNERS.

AND NOW THAT 60% OF THE PLANT THAT PRODUCED, YOU KNOW, 60% OF THE SUPPLY WAS DOWN.

ANOTHER PLANT WAS IN THE PATH OF HURRICANE MILTON, THAT PRODUCED 23% OF THE COUNTRY'S SUPPLY.

THANK GOODNESS, THAT WAS SPARED.

BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, IDENTIFYING WE NEED TO AFTER THIS IS OVER, WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THE FRAGILITY OF THE SUPPLY CHAIN OF OUR DRUGS INCLUDING I.V.

FLUIDS.

>> Eric: OVERSEAS, SUPPLIES, CAN THAT BE TAPPED?

>> YES, SO, YOU KNOW, GOOD NEWS.

F.D.A., ASPER, THAT'S ANOTHER FEDERAL AGENCY, AND THE SECRETARY, THEY'RE ALL WORKING ON THAT.

SHIPMENTS ARE COMING IN FROM CANADA, FROM EUROPE.

SO THAT WE CAN GET THE SHAPEMENTS HERE.

HERE LOCALLY IN MINNESOTA, AGAIN, THE HOPE IS BAXTER WILL RAMP UP.

I WAS JUST ON WITH CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER OF ONE OF OUR LARGE ORGANIZATIONS AS I WAS DRIVING UP HERE, THE SUPPLY IS STILL ERRATIC.

SO THAT MEANS, YOU KNOW, WE -- WHEN THOSE PACKAGES GET UNPACKED, THAT DETERMINES HOW MANY PATIENTS CAN GET THE FLUIDS AND SUPPLIES.

AND ALMOST EVERYBODY NEEDS THESE FLUIDS.

I MEAN, I'M AN INTERNISTS.

WE GIVE A LOT OF FLUIDS, NOT JUST BURN PATIENTS AND TRANSPLANT PATIENTS AND SURGERY PATIENTS, BUT EVERYBODY, ALMOST EVERYBODY GETS THESE.

SO THESE ARE CRITICAL, YOU KNOW, SUPPLIED THAT WE NEED FOR OUR PATIENTS.

>> Cathy: AND THEN FINAL QUESTION HERE FOR YOU.

COULD HOSPITALS ALSO SHARE, AS YOU GET TO THE END OF YEAR AND TRY TO -- BAXTER TRYING TO GET BACK FULLY ONLINE?

>> YEAH, THEY ARE.

AGAIN, LAST FRIDAY, WE HAD ALMOST 200 LEADERS CONVENED THAT WERE TALKING, ABOUT HOW TO CONSERVE TOGETHER.

THE OTHER PIECE THAT I'M SO PROUD OF, ALMOST ALL OF THE HOSPITALS IN MINNESOTA ARE NOT-FOR-PROFIT, MISSION DRIVEN HOSPITALS.

SO, YES, THEY'RE SHARING BEST PRACTICES.

THE NEXT THING THEY'RE DOING NOW IS USING TECHNOLOGY TO CUE NURSES AND PHYSICIANS ON HOW TO CONSERVE.

THAT STARTED EARLIER THIS WEEK.

SO WE ARE PULLING ALL THE