Riverside Health is awaiting the latest shipment of the Baxter IV solution

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Baxter has shipped its first shipment of IV solutions in nearly two months after Hurricane Helene damaged the facility.

Health officials at Riverside Health are patiently waiting for the first shipment to arrive.

“What we hope and expect from the supply from this North Carolina facility is that Baxter will increase the allocation,” said Kemi Olatunji, senior director of pharmacy services at Riverside Health. “Especially with liquids, which will hopefully be 60 to 100 percent scarce in the next few weeks,” he added.

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While waiting, Riverside has continued to help its patients by assessing their needs.
“The assessment of patients who qualify for oral hydration and their use of oral hydration systems using infusion. “This is a good example of maintaining safety and maintaining quality of care, thereby keeping the effort on patients’ actual infusion needs,” Olatunji added.

The first delivery is expected in Hampton Roads in the next week or two. Until then, Riverside health officials plan to closely monitor supplies.

“We will continue like this until the production lines are fully reopened and we actually have a product in hand that will last for a long period of time before we reduce it,” Olatunji said.

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News 3 contacted Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughter and Sentara officials.
CHKD said they were not affected by Baxter’s temporary closure. Sentara officials say they only use a small portion of what Baxter offers and have been able to maintain it without any real impact.