ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN HEALTHCARE SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT: ENHANCING RESILIENCE AND EFFICIENCY IN U.S. MEDICAL SUPPLY DISTRIBUTION

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a transformative force in healthcare supply chain management. This paper analyzes the transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI) in enhancing the resilience and efficiency of healthcare supply chain management within the U.S. medical supply distribution system. The study analyzes current implementations and emerging technologies to show how AI-enabled solutions are transforming routine supply chain operations in healthcare settings. Key findings show that healthcare organizations that implement AI-powered supply chain systems observe improvements in forecasting accuracy up to 87% for predictive analytics models that can anticipate supply chain disruption. The research also shows how AI systems enable 40% faster recovery times during crises versus traditional methods, while automated decision support systems reduce response times to supply chain disruptions by almost 65%. The study however points out critical challenges such as data privacy concerns, high implementation costs, and a requirement for strong governance frameworks. Strategically, the paper offers recommendations to healthcare organizations on how to better collaborate with technologists, healthcare providers, and policymakers to enhance innovation while maintaining ethical standards. With the evolution of healthcare supply chains, this research underlines the importance of AI in designing a more resilient and efficient medical supply distribution system that is commensurate with the need to address challenges of implementation and ethical considerations in ensuring equitable healthcare delivery. KEYWORDS: Artificial Intelligence, Healthcare Supply Chain, Medical Supply Distribution, Predictive Analytics, Supply Chain Resilience