Since opening its doors in New Orleans in 1942, Ochsner Clinic has grown into the Ochsner Health System, which serves Louisiana, Mississippi and the Gulf South. In their nearly 80 years of service, they’ve proven that Ochsner never closes its doors – come hell or high water. In fact, despite being in the heart of the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, Ochsner remained fully functional during and after the storm. They actually were the only full-service hospital in the area to do so. Despite these significant burdens, by the end of 2006, the Ochsner Health System had grown. Today, Ochsner Health System includes 40 owned, managed and affiliated hospitals and specialty hospitals in addition to more than 100 urgent care and health centers.

The Problem: Last Mile Safety for New mRNA Vaccines

Shortly after the COVID-19 global pandemic reached the United States, Ochsner Health System was faced with a problem that went far beyond making sure they remained operational during a weather-induced crisis. Ochsner needed to be able to offer COVID vaccinations as soon as they became available. However, despite the health system’s extensive pharmaceutical division, they faced the same challenge many others in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries also faced. They did not have enough ultra-low temperature freezers needed to store the forthcoming mRNA Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. During a time of high demand, low availability and global shipping delays, Ochsner needed to source solutions that would allow them to manage ultra-low temperature storage at the last mile in their own facilities.

The Solution: Expanding the Biorepository

The Ochsner Health Systems pharmacy department desperately needed products that would provide the temperatures required for storage of these new vaccines. After conferring with healthcare professionals and facility managers throughout the nation, the Ochsner team reached out to technical service professionals for recommendations on where and how to acquire more ultra-low freezers.

Their inquiries brought forth a name that was well known in Europe and other parts of the world, but new to the North American market: B Medical Systems.

B Medical Systems was able to provide Ochsner Health Systems with essential cold storage products when they were needed the most.

B Medical Systems Ultra-Low Temperature Freezers Key Performance Features

• Ability to operate in high ambient conditions of up to 43°C typical of Gulf Coast weather
• Adjustable setpoint from -86°C to -20°C
• Uniform and stable temperature distribution
• Fast temperature recovery after door opening
• Optional CO₂ backup and extended holdover time in case of power failure

Ochsner Health Systems opted to utilize three models of B Medical Systems ultra-low temperature freezers, the U401 (16.8 cu.ft.), the U501 (22.3 cu.ft.), and the U701 (27.9 cu.ft.).

The Results

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Ochsner Health System not only remained fully functional, they also treated more than 900,000 people from across the globe while expanding their in-house biorepository to accommodate ultra-low temperature freezers of three different sizes.

For More Information

To learn more click here to contact B Medical Systems.