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Oregon Health Authority

Preparedness Resources for Partners

Resources for Health Departments, Tribes and Health Care Systems


Hurricane-Related Shortage of IV Fluids (2024)

Oregon Health Authority is monitoring developments in the national supply of IV fluid used in hospital and health care settings. National supplies of IV fluids became limited in the wake of hurricanes Helene and Milton that affected manufacturing. Current federal updates suggest that the situation is expected to improve, as Federal partners and Baxter work to bring the facility back on-line and leverage the global supply chain in the meantime.  Oregon is seeing some hospital supply issues and OHA is working with hospitals around the state to connect them for “mutual aid,” a process by which hospitals and other health facilities share supplies and resources. OHA also encourages health facilities to contact Baxter, if supplied directly, or their distributor about any serious shortage. 

Several resources are available to help hospitals and other health care settings stay up to date on the latest supply-chain information and conservation guidance:

Influenza Guidance for Hospitals

Hospitals and medical providers in Oregon are encountering a high number of patients seeking medical care due to flu symptoms and an increase in bed capacity.

  • Hospital Checklist (PDF):Use this checklist as a guide for hospitals and health care facilities to prepare for, and respond to medical surge.
  • Hospital Medical Surge FAQ (PDF): Hospitals are seeking guidance from the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) related to surge capacity, variances, and EMS requirements. This document was developed to explain regulatory limitations and to outline potentially useful options as they respond to the current situation.
  • Oregon Facility Transfer Guidance (PDF): Patient admissions and transfers during periods of widespread influenza activity can create unusually high demand for emergency and inpatient services.

Additional resources


Cyanotoxins in Public Drinking Water System

In 2018, the Oregon Health Authority developed rules related to cyanotoxins in drinking water. Below are links to more information and resources from OHA's Drinking Water Services.


Shortage of Saline, Other Medications and Medical Supplies (2017-2018)

Hurricane-related damage to Baxter Healthcare Corporation facilities in Puerto Rico has led to declines in production of small-volume bags of saline and other medications. The resources below may be of assistance to healthcare partners concerned about these supply shortages during this challenging time.

Additional resources


CMS Preparedness Rules Resources (as of January 2017)

The Emergency Preparedness Requirements for Medicare and Medicaid Participating Providers and Suppliers regulation is 651 pages. The beginning is essentially the responses to suggestions and inquiries that were captured during the public comment period. The middle section details estimated costs associated with implementing the rule within provider sectors. The last 50 pages is dedicated to the breakdown of the individual rule requirements for each provider type. Find your provider type and read the requirements carefully. The core elements are essentially the same but there is distinction regarding conducting testing and some variance in infrastructure mitigation and preparation.

See the following links for more information on:

Documentation review

Initiating preparedness assessments

Emergency planning

Training resources

Researching testing and exercising


Pediatric Surge

Pediatric Annex for a Hospital Emergency Operations Plan 
Regional Pediatric Specialty Care Capacity Report

Surge Planning Toolkit: