Premier Healthcare Alliance Board Appoints Seven To Group Purchasing & Member Relations Committee.Committee Guides Purchasing Network Vital to Reducing Cost of Healthcare in America While Promoting Social Responsibility and Clinical Innovation CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Premier healthcare alliance Board of Directors has named leaders from seven top U.S. not-for-profit hospitals and health systems to the committee that provides strategic oversight of group purchasing and member relations for healthcare's largest purchasing network. The Group Purchasing and Member Relations Committee plays a vital role in setting direction for Premier's purchasing program, which negotiates cost-saving discounts for more than 1,500 hospitals and thousands of other healthcare providers. In turn, patients and taxpayers benefit from reduced healthcare costs on the more than $27 billion in supplies, services, drugs and equipment purchased annually through Premier's group contracts. Appointed by the Premier Board of Directors as new members of its Group Purchasing and Member Relations Committee are: * Gary Bebow, administrator/CEO, White River Health System, Inc., Batesville, Ark.; * Gary Strong, chief operating officer Chief Operating Officer (COO) The officer of a firm responsible for day-to-day management, usually the president or an executive vice-president. , Fairview Health Services health services Managed care The benefits covered under a health contract , Minneapolis; * James Hill, executive vice president, Resurrection Health Care, Chicago; * Jim Rosenberg, executive vice president, hospital operations, West Penn Allegheny Health System West Penn Allegheny Health System (WPAHS) is the second-largest provider of healthcare in metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. It competes against much-larger UPMC. , Pittsburgh; * Keith Callahan, vice president, supply chain management, Catholic Healthcare West Catholic Healthcare West (CHW) is a California not-for-profit public benefit corporation that operates hospitals in California, Arizona, and Nevada[1]. As such, it is exempt from federal and state income taxes. , Phoenix; * David McCombs, vice president, enterprise resource planning/supply chain operations, Bon Secours Health System, Columbia, Md.; and * Gary Bowers, executive director, Western North Carolina Western North Carolina (often abbreviated as WNC) is the region of North Carolina which includes the Appalachian Mountains, thus it is often known geographically as the state's Mountain Region. Health Network, Asheville, N.C. Promoting innovation, supporting small suppliers and protecting the environment are among the key strategic imperatives for the purchasing network. Input from the GPMR GPMR Grosvenor Park Miniature Railway (UK) GPMR Geological Processes and Mineral Resources Committee is vital to Premier's efforts to safely reduce the cost of care by fostering competition and ensuring that the needs of hospitals, clinicians and patients are represented in the development, distribution and sale of healthcare products. The member-focused approach has been effective. In 2006 Purchasing Partners, Premier's group purchasing unit, added $172 million in new net value and grew acute care hospitals served from 1,459 to 1,508 while maintaining a 98 percent retention rate. "Premier owners and members as well as our organization will profit from the experience and expertise these seven highly regarded healthcare leaders bring to one of our most important committees," said Premier President and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. Richard A. Norling. "This committee is essential to our approach of putting the needs of patients and providers at the center of our alliance activities." Among its duties, the committee oversees policy development and implementation; advises management regarding the owner recruitment plan, general owner and affiliate relations, and ways of strengthening those relationships; advises management regarding group purchasing strategies and implementation plans; and reports to the board on member policy issues. Premier COO Susan D. DeVore highlighted the strategic nature of the committee. "The committee is representative of our membership. Its members are a valuable source of input and feedback especially as we together develop effective one-year and three-year strategies." According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Mike Alkire, president, Premier Purchasing Partners, "The new committee members understand the complexities of today's healthcare industry and the value Premier brings. They will ensure that Premier positively helps our owners, members and affiliates to perform in the best quartile Quartile A statistical term describing a division of observations into four defined intervals based upon the values of the data and how they compare to the entire set of observations. Notes: Each quartile contains 25% of the total observations. of both quality and costs." Other members of the committee are John Day, CEO, Southcoast Health System, New Bedford New Bedford, city (1990 pop. 99,922), seat of Bristol co., SE Mass., at the mouth of the Acushnet River on Buzzard's Bay; settled 1640, set off from Dartmouth 1787, inc. as a city 1847. , Mass.; Gerald Fulks, CEO, West Georgia Health System, La Grange La Grange (lə grānj). 1 City (1990 pop. 25,597), seat of Troupe co., W central Ga., inc. 1828. It is an industrial center that produces lumber, plastics, textiles, and transportation equipment. , Ga.; Warren Green Warren Green (b. 1869, d. 1945) was the thirteenth Governor of South Dakota. Green, a Republican from Hazel, South Dakota, served from 1931 to 1933. Warren Green was born March 10, 1869, in Jackson County, Wisconsin, the oldest of eight children. , CEO, LifeBridge Health, Baltimore; Thomas Jones Thomas Jones is the name of:
About Premier, 2006 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award is given by the United States National Institute of Standards and Technology. Through the actions of the National Productivity Advisory Committee chaired by Jack Grayson, it was established by the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality recipient Serving 1,700 hospitals and almost 45,000 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. For more information, visit www.premierinc.com. |
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