Patient safety is at risk, contends the American Hospital Association, which is asking the federal government to take immediate action to declare a national emergency, after flooding from Hurricane Helene left a major North Carolina IV solutions plant damaged.

The AHA, which represents 5,000 hospitals and health systems, sent a letter to Pres. Biden on Monday to "declare a national emergency under the National Emergencies Act … and request that Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra declare a national Public Health Emergency in order to create the circumstances that will allow for waivers of Medicare/Medicaid rules and regulations," according to the AHA letter.

The AHA is concerned about the closure of the Baxter medical supply plant in Marion, North Carolina, which manufactures approximately 60% of the sterile intravenous fluids and kidney dialysis fluids for the U.S.  Some hospitals are rescheduling non-emergency procedures in an effort to conserve limited supply.