CONTACT:
Hunter Kome, Premier Inc.
704.733.5698 or hunter_kome@premierinc.com
Premier honors healthcare system, contracted
supplier for efforts to promote diversity in supply chain
process
CHARLOTTE, NC (June 27, 2006) — The Premier Inc.
healthcare alliance has named SSM Health Care and Phoenix
Textile Corp., both of St. Louis, Mo., as winners of the
2006 Premier Diversity Recognition Award for efforts to
promote the use of minority, women, veteran and small businesses.
One of the largest group purchasing organizations in the
country, Premier is committed to the growth and success
of diversity suppliers. As part of its best-in-class supplier
diversity initiatives, Premier’s Supplier Diversity
Committee established the annual award to recognize a member
hospital and a contracted supplier for efforts to purchase
goods and services from Premier contracted diverse suppliers
and to develop procurement strategies to align with the
communities served.
The award is presented at Premier’s annual Breakthroughs
Conference and Exhibition, which drew approximately 3,000
healthcare system and supplier attendees to Orlando from
June 20-23 this year.
Harriet Michel, president of the National Minority Supplier
Development Council, was on hand to announce the award winners,
along with Susan DeVore, president of Premier Purchasing
Partners.
“It’s important for everyone in healthcare
that we have a robust community of diverse suppliers serving
our industry,” DeVore said. “Competition helps
hold down the cost of healthcare supplies, so doing business
with diverse suppliers is not only the right thing to do,
it’s good for business and for patients.”
The member award identifies Premier member hospitals and
health systems that have established active programs to
evaluate and support minority, women-owned, and veteran-owned
contracted suppliers available through the Premier contract
portfolio. The award considers members that have established
programs to encourage the development of diverse suppliers
in their own community.
"This award is yet another confirmation that we are
moving in the right direction with our diversity strategic
goals," said Yvonne Tisdel, SSM Corporate Vice President
for Human Resources and System Diversity. "It is because
of the commitment of SSM leadership that we are able to
make a difference.”
Six other Premier members received honorable mentions for
their programs to support supplier diversity: Children's
Hospital, Columbus, Ohio; Detroit Medical Center; Henry
Ford Health System, Detroit; North Broward Hospital, Ft.
Lauderdale, Fla.; TriHealth, Inc., Cincinnati; and Vanderbilt
University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn.
The supplier award for diversity recognizes Premier contracted
supplier that support our efforts to increase purchases
from diversity suppliers and provide economic development
opportunities for communities throughout the US.
Premier contracted suppliers receiving honorable mentions
include American Medical Depot, Opa Locka, Fla.; Coffee,
Tea and Me, Woodbridge, Ill.; Kerma Medical Products, Portsmouth,
Va.; LSL Industries, Chicago;
Medgluv, Inc.,
Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; Pharmed Group Corp.,
Miami; and Print Media, Miami.
“All of these organizations realize the value of
this initiative and its positive impact,” said Gleatha
Glispie, national director of Premier’s supplier diversity
initiative. “Each has recognized and embraced supplier
diversity as an essential strategy for managing product
costs and creating fair market conditions for all. Access
to diversity suppliers expands choice and strengthens the
availability of quality products.”
As of April 2006, Premier has 210 diversity suppliers:
29 minority business enterprises with total purchases of
$41 million; 15 women business enterprises, $7.6 million
in purchases; 164 small business enterprises, $790 million
in purchases; and two veteran-owned businesses, a recently
added classification, $310,000.
About Premier, Inc.
Premier, Inc., the leader in helping hospitals accelerate
performance on both clinical outcomes and supply chain costs,
is a healthcare alliance entirely owned by more than 200
of the nation’s leading not-for-profit hospitals and
healthcare systems. These organizations operate or are affiliated
with nearly 1,500 hospitals and more than 38,500 other healthcare
sites. Premier Purchasing Partners provides an array of
services supporting health services delivery including group
purchasing totaling more than $25 billion annually in supplies
and equipment purchasing, as well as supply chain and clinical
performance improvement services. Premier Healthcare Informatics
offers performance measurement, benchmarking, and reporting
products and advisory services supporting quality improvement.
Premier Insurance Management Services helps hospitals manage
insurance costs and improve risk management and claims capabilities.
Headquartered in San Diego, Premier has offices in Charlotte,
NC, and Washington, DC. For more information, visit
www.premierinc.com
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