Breakthrough Management Group Inc. and SterilTek Inc. Collaborate to Offer Healthcare Consulting Solutions.

MENTOR, Ohio -- New agreement brings together the best process and performance improvement expertise to meet the needs of hospitals

STERIS Corp. (NYSE:STE) announces the signing of an agreement between Breakthrough Management Group Inc. (BMG) and SterilTek Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of STERIS Corp. The agreement allows the two companies to leverage the combined strength of SterilTek and BMG brands and capabilities to provide complete performance improvement consulting, analysis, methodologies and training for all areas of a healthcare facility's operations.

The strength of this new relationship comes from combining SterilTek's capabilities in process improvement consulting for hospital operating room and sterile processing departments with BMG's expertise in Total Performance Excellence, Lean and Six Sigma, Design for Six Sigma (DFSS), and Theory of Inventive Problem-Solving (TRIZ), and offering this combined skill set to healthcare clients as a package.

Healthcare providers have been applying proven performance improvement methodologies that have typically been used in other industries to improve process quality and reduce overall costs. This has become increasingly important as hospitals and other medical facilities are challenged to reduce costs and are under greater scrutiny from consumers who demand more comparative information on hospital quality and performance. Hospitals and health centers are seeking advice from experts who can apply these methods to the particular requirements of the healthcare environment, at both an overall enterprise level and in specific clinical and functional areas.

SterilTek Inc., a leading healthcare process improvement consulting company, provides experience-based professionals who focus on improving the efficiencies between the economic engine of the hospital -- the operating room -- and the complete surgical instrument reprocessing cycle that supports its productivity. SterilTek offers comprehensive financial, clinical and operational evaluation of instrument reprocessing functions and works with the facility to identify and support the implementation of improvements that have the best return on investment.

BMG is a global leader in performance excellence consulting, training and technology solutions. The company's process improvement and design methodologies include Six Sigma, Lean operations, DFSS, TRIZ and strategic planning. BMG provides performance excellence consulting to a wide array of industries, and has significant experience in healthcare.

"We are pleased to be working with BMG to provide a comprehensive process improvement offering to our healthcare customers," commented Mike Duckett, vice president of operations for SterilTek Inc. "BMG's expertise in Lean Six Sigma and training methods has been a valuable tool across clinical and functional areas of hospital operations. Combine this with SterilTek's valued process improvement analytics and deep clinical understanding of the instrument reprocessing cycle, and STERIS Corporation's channel to hospitals and medical centers throughout the U.S., and you have a powerhouse team that can provide a complete process improvement 'tool kit' for healthcare systems, nationwide."

"SterilTek's strong reputation for delivering solutions and their commitment to process improvement mirrors our own vision," said David Silverstein, president and CEO of Breakthrough Management Group. "This agreement enhances our ability to bring a very attractive solution into specific clinical areas. SterilTek is a perfect match for BMG's objectives to support a wide array of industries by helping customers achieve their business objectives through world-class integrated solutions."

About Breakthrough Management Group

Breakthrough Management Group Inc. is a global leader in Performance Excellence and Six Sigma consulting, training and technology solutions. BMG specializes in helping companies increase shareholder value and maximize profits by improving their operational efficiencies. BMG augments its corporate consulting and training practice with Web-based training and support software to enhance student retention and increase deployment results. Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Longmont, Colo., BMG has developed a loyal clientele that today exceeds 200 active businesses in industries as diverse as biotechnology, healthcare, finance, telecommunications, manufacturing and energy. BMG has offices in 12 countries and has more than 100 employees worldwide. For more information, visit www.bmgi.com.

About SterilTek Inc. and STERIS Corp.

SterilTek Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of STERIS Corp. The mission of STERIS Corp. is to provide a healthier today and safer tomorrow through knowledgeable people and innovative infection prevention, decontamination and health science technologies, products and services. More than 5,000 dedicated employees around the world work together to supply a broad array of solutions by offering a combination of equipment, consumables and services to healthcare, pharmaceutical, industrial and government customers. STERIS is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol STE.

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