For Immediate Release
Medline Awarded Premier Contract For Skin Breakdown Prevention Products
Tuesday, December 19, 2006 —
Mundelein, Ill - Medline Industries, Inc., the nation's largest privately held manufacturer and distributor of health care supplies, recently signed a three-year national agreement to provide essential skin breakdown prevention products to members of Premier Purchasing Partners, LP., one of the nation's largest health care group purchasing organizations.
"The skin breakdown prevention products are essential in healthcare because your skin is a primary critical barrier to infection. We are thrilled to be able to manufacture and distribute high-quality products in this area and we are proud to be able to offer these premium products to Premier members at important savings," said Kurt Krieghbaum, senior vice president, Medline National Accounts division.
The dual-source agreement will provide skin breakdown prevention products at significant savings to Premier's group purchasing membership of nearly 1,700 hospitals nationwide. Fully implemented March 1 and effective through February 28, 2010, the agreement covers a multitude of products including positioners, wedges, protector pads and cushions.
About Premier Inc., recipient of the 2006 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award
Serving 1,700 hospitals and 43,000 other healthcare sites, Premier Inc. is the largest healthcare alliance in the United States dedicated to improving patient outcomes while safely reducing the cost of care. Owned by not-for-profit hospitals, Premier operates the nation's largest healthcare purchasing network, the most comprehensive repository of hospital clinical and financial information and one of the largest policy-holder owned, hospital professional liability risk-retention groups in healthcare. Headquartered in San Diego, Premier has offices in Charlotte, N.C. and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.premierinc.com.
About Medline
Medline, the nation's largest privately held manufacturer and distributor of healthcare products, manufactures and distributes more than 100,000 products to hospitals, extended care facilities, surgery centers, home care dealers and agencies and other markets. Headquartered in Mundelein, IL, Medline has more than 800 dedicated sales representatives nationwide to support its broad product line and cost management services.
Over the past five years, Medline has been the fastest growing distributor of medical and surgical supplies in the U.S., serving as the primary distributor to over 250 major hospitals and health care systems. As a leading distributor, Medline offers a comprehensive array of consulting and management services encompassing the supply chain and logistics, utilization and standardization, business tools and enhanced reporting capabilities, and on-staff clinicians.
Medline has a growing network of 34 distribution centers around the country, as well as an expanding, dedicated transportation fleet with over 160 vehicles in a variety of sizes to fit customers' specific delivery needs. The fleet is equipped with the latest navigation devices for enhanced order tracking and communication.