[0] Premier Awards Siemens Contract for Oncology Products.

Business Editors & Health/Medical Writers

CONCORD, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--Oct. 3, 2000

Siemens Oncology Care Systems Group announced a three year contract with Premier, Inc., one of the nation's largest healthcare alliance enterprises, for a wide range of oncology solutions. This agreement is an addendum to a previous agreement renewed recently between Premier and Siemens for imaging equipment.

The agreement now provides Premier owners and affiliates the ability to obtain all of Siemens' state-of-the-art oncology equipment, as well as, in-service support and the expertise necessary to maintain these systems.

Dennis Falkenstein, vice president of Marketing and Sales of the Siemens Oncology Care Systems Group said, "This agreement will enhance our capabilities to offer the latest solutions to Premier contract purchasers. We will be inviting all members to view our medical solutions during their visit to ASTRO and on our WEB site. Siemens views Premier as a major purchasing force that is interested in total investment value including the latest innovations for better patient care."

According to Joe Saldarini, director of sales for the Siemens Oncology Care Systems Group, "Siemens' Oncology Care Systems Group will now gain access to the thousands of Premier members across the United States who will benefit from the new expanded contract that includes both imaging and therapy solutions for cancer care. Premier members can now enjoy the benefits of equipment choice and complementary solutions which combine Siemens' imaging expertise to improve treatment options for their patient populations."

In recent years, the Siemens Oncology Care Systems Group has developed some significant clinical innovations, in alliance with some of the country's finest medical research institutions, in order to improve cancer care around the world. These new technologies include advancements in image guided radiation therapy, productivity software that speeds the radiation delivery process, and improved techniques for Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy, (IMRT), which is an advanced cancer treatment that allows the delivery of complex doses of radiation to tumors while minimizing radiation on healthy tissue. Innovations like these offer the necessary productivity tools for treatment centers, while at the same time improving patient care.

Siemens is now collaborating with the Premier Innovation Institute to develop a novel solution for improving radiation therapy in the fight against cancer. Siemens is introducing Premier hospitals to its PRIMATOM(tm) System, a Siemens innovation that combines a Computed Tomography (CT) scanner with a medical linear accelerator. Adding computed tomography allows clinicians to pinpoint the exact anatomy of the tumor, and permits precise delivery of the escalated doses of radiation therapy directly to the affected cells.

Premier, Inc. is the parent company of a leading strategic alliance in U. S. healthcare. Premier is entirely owned by more than 200 of the nation's leading hospital and healthcare systems. Aggregately, these systems operate or are affiliated with more than 1,800 hospital facilities in 50 states and hundreds of other care sites. The Premier family of companies provides an array of resources supporting health services delivery. Among these resources are comprehensive supply chain management services, including group purchasing for more than $12 billion annually in supplies and equipment, with e-commerce enablement by medibuy.com. Other resources offered by Premier are insurance programs, performance improvement services of many kinds including healthcare informatics, clinical technology services, and physician practice management services. Premier is headquartered in San Diego, Calif., with other major facilities in Chicago, Ill., and Charlotte, N.C. Advocacy and policy offices are located in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.premierinc.com.

The Oncology Care Systems Group of Siemens develops and markets a broad range of radiation therapy and electronic information products for the worldwide oncology market. The company is part of Siemens Medical Engineering Group, Erlangen, Germany, one of the largest suppliers of healthcare services in the world. The Medical Engineering Group employs 19,000 worldwide and reported fiscal year-end sales of $5 billion. In the U.S., the Oncology Care Systems Group is part of Siemens Medical Systems, Inc. Iselin, N.J., which employs nearly 4,500 people in the U.S. and reported annual sales of approximately $1.8 billion. Additional information about the Oncology Care Systems Group of Siemens and their innovative oncology solutions can be found at www.siemensoncology.com.