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CONTACT:
Alven Weil
Premier Inc.
704.733.5797

Premier healthcare alliance to highlight suppliers dedicated to healthcare quality and efficiency improvement, innovation

Solutions introduced address infection and disease prevention, improved patient-physician communications and patient satisfaction

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (June 16, 2009) – The Premier healthcare alliance today will celebrate supplier innovation at its first Innovation Celebration. This event, which will be held annually, recognizes advances in healthcare while highlighting healthcare industry suppliers committed to improving patient outcomes.

Premier's Innovation Celebration introduces new solutions that are expected to benefit healthcare delivery. Suppliers at the celebration will showcase advances in healthcare, addressing issues such as healthcare-associated infection and disease prevention; patient-physician communications; devices to minimize invasive surgery, as well as increase patient comfort and recovery after surgery; and advances in vaccines, imaging software and devices, sterile compounding and artificial disc replacement.

"The Innovation Celebration is a unique opportunity to unveil revolutionary concepts and developments in the healthcare industry," said Premier Purchasing Partners President Mike Alkire. "Similar to the Premier alliance, these suppliers are committed to innovation that leads to improved quality and reduced costs, and we're pleased to showcase their efforts to our alliance members."

Of the 800 Premier contracted suppliers, 24 will gather to introduce breakthrough technologies to the alliance. Twenty-six products were selected by a cross-functional team of Premier alliance members and staff of varying expertise, including clinical product planners, clinical field specialists, pharmacists, supply chain professionals, materials management and nurses.

"The purpose of the Innovation Celebration is not only to introduce these solutions to Premier alliance members, but also to share healthcare industry best practices," said Durral Gilbert, Premier Purchasing Partners vice president of Supply Chain Operations. "These innovations are marked progress toward the ultimate goal of improving quality and patient outcomes."

Innovation Celebration participants will be featured at the 2009 Premier Annual Breakthroughs Conference and Exhibition in Anaheim, Calif. Basic criteria for selection included solutions that displayed uniqueness, as well as solutions that have an impact on an unmet medical need.

For more information including a list of Innovation Celebration participants, please visit: www.premierinc.com/about/events-education/breakthroughs/2009/supplier/innovation-celebration.jsp.

About the Premier healthcare alliance, Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award recipient
Premier is a performance improvement alliance of more than 2,500 U.S. hospitals and 80,000-plus other healthcare sites using the power of collaboration to lead the transformation to high quality, cost-effective care. Owned by hospitals, health systems and other providers, Premier maintains the nation's most comprehensive repository of clinical, financial and outcomes information and operates a leading healthcare purchasing network. A world leader in helping deliver measurable improvements in care, Premier has worked with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the United Kingdom's National Health Service North West to improve hospital performance. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Premier also has an office in Washington. https://premierinc.com. Stay connected with Premier on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.