MIKE CONLEY
NORTH COVE BAXTER INTERNATIONAL PLANT
Monday morning, the secretary for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services visited the Baxter International plant in McDowell County and commended the work accomplished to get the IV fluid facility back in operation after damage from Hurricane Helene. "To each and every one of the employees at Baxter, who now have all been accounted for, who are back at work, many having suff ered some real hardships, devastation, including loss, we say thank you for your spirit, for your work ethic and getting Baxter back on its feet," said Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. Becerra visited Baxter's North Cove manufacturing site in the North Cove community of McDowell County, which was significantly impacted by the rain and storm surge from Hurricane Helene.
The Baxter plant in the North Cove community is responsible for 60% of the nation's supply of IV solution bags. Before Helene struck, this plant would manufacture more than 1 million IV bags every single day, according to Baxter.
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Hurricane Helene significantly impacted the plant complex and damaged a bridge that provided access to U.S. Highway 221 North. Water flooded the inside of the facility. Baxter was forced to limit the supply of IV fluid hospitals could buy until other sources were found.
By the end of this year, the North Cove plant should be back to full operational status, according to information from Baxter.
As of Monday, all employees are accounted for and have returned to work throughout the massive plant complex, which covers more than 1.4 million square feet. An employee support center in Woodlawn continues to provide for needs of employees.
Becerra participated in a tour of the facility and held a press conference with Baxter CEO José "Joe" Almeida to discuss efforts by both HHS and Baxter to continue to improve supply and increase the production of IV solutions.
"Supporting our employees in the impacted communities, bringing the North Cove facility back online and helping to ensure ongoing supply to patients are our top priorities," reads a statement from Baxter. "To date, we have invested more than one million hours in recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene."
"Since then, we have spared no effort or resources to bring North Cove back online," Almeida said at the press conference. "Last month, we restarted production of our first and highest manufacturing line leading to this very moment as we see the first truckload of new products shipping out to our customers since the hurricane's impact."
He said it would not have been possible without the efforts of the local team and their leaders.
"Thanks to our dedicated partners at FEMA, HHS and the N.C. Department of Transportation, we gather today on a temporary bridge that serves as a critical access point for our facility," Almeida said. "We have far more to do as we bring back our site to its previous production levels but the power of partnership speaks loud and clear with our progress and momentum to date."
Becerra pointed to the Baxter trucks rolling out of the plant site. "Right there, that's helping save some lives," he said. "That's something we couldn't say when Hurricane Helene hit."
The first temporary bridge was installed on Oct. 7 with a second one put in place on Nov. 7. A deep cleaning of the plant's production rooms was completed Oct. 21, according to Baxter. The plant restarted the first IV solutions manufacturing line during the week of Oct. 28 and then restarted the second high-output IV solutions manufacturing line during the week of Nov. 11. This week, the first products made after Hurricane Helene are being shipped out, according to information from Baxter.
As a result of these steps, hospitals have 50% more product available now compared to right after the hurricane. Baxter has begun distributing more than 1,100 truckloads of product manufactured before the hurricane, is importing product from overseas plants and has restarted two manufacturing lines, which represent about half of the facility's manufacturing capacity.
These supply improvements, combined with increased output from other manufacturers, will help hospitals get more of the product they need over the coming weeks, according to information from Baxter.
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