The COVID-19 crisis caused both unprecedented spikes in demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) and respirators worldwide and disruptions in the supply chain for these products. Part I of the Material Supply Strategy in a Crisis (MaSSC) study made public today presents six interrelated solution approaches. This study analyzed the procurement of scarce medical materials such as mouthguards and respirators during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study sheds light on the various challenges that hospitals, healthcare facilities and the national initiatives faced - and how these challenges are interrelated. Erik van Raaij, professor of Purchasing & Supply Management in Healthcare at RSM, was involved in the research.