Cardinal deal's ripple effects; Purchase of Viasys could mean GPO renegotiations or additional savings.(The Week in Healthcare)(Group Purchasing Organization)(Viasys Healthcare)(Cardinal Health Inc.)

Modern Healthcare, May, 2007 by Rhea, Shawn

Byline: Shawn Rhea

Officials for Cardinal Health said it's too early to say how the company's plans to buy medical technology company Viasys Healthcare for $1.5 billion will affect its customers, but the deal could mean changes in contracts with group purchasing organizations and other customers down the line.

GPO contracts "are something I know we'll look at very closely during the integration period,'' said Jim Mazzola, a spokesman for the Dublin, Ohio-based medical products and services company. He said it's too soon to speculate whether the anticipated Viasys acquisition would bring additional savings to customers or whether the deal would prompt Cardinal to renegotiate GPO contracts immediately after the purchase or on a case-by-case basis as...

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