Alegent Health Expands Relationship with Premier, Hospitals to Use Innovative Infection Tracking Tool

Business Wire, March 20, 2008

Premier Healthcare Alliance's SafetySurveillor[TM] Continuously Detects, Monitors Healthcare Associated Infections via Web-based Application

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Premier healthcare alliance today announced that it is expanding its relationship with Alegent Health of Omaha, Neb., to drive significant improvements in cost and quality across the system. Alegent is implementing SafetySurveillor[TM] in five Nebraska and Iowa hospitals to prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and optimize antibiotic use, protecting patients and reducing hospital costs.

More than 200 hospitals have selected the Web-based system to enhance patient care, making SafetySurveillor the most widely adopted infection control solution over the past 12 months.

Alegent Health is the largest not-for-profit, faith-based healthcare system in Nebraska and southwestern Iowa with nine acute care hospitals, more than 100 sites of service, and more than 1,300 physicians on its medical staff. It has been an owner of the Premier Purchasing Partners group purchasing network since 1988. Alegent Health also uses other Premier performance improvement tools and services and participates actively in Premier cost, quality and patient safety initiatives.

"Around the country, super bugs resistant to many antibiotics are on the rise, making infection eradication inside our hospital walls critical," said Mark Kestner, MD, Alegent Health vice president and chief quality officer. "SafetySurveillor provides Alegent Health physicians, nurses and hospital staff an innovative tool to defend against such infections for the benefit and safety of our patients."

Alegent Health hospitals that will deploy SafetySurveillor are:

* Alegent Health - Bergan Mercy Medical Center, Omaha, Neb.;

* Alegent Health - Immanuel Medical Center, Omaha, Neb.;

* Alegent Health - Lakeside Hospital, Omaha, Neb.;

* Alegent Health - Mercy Hospital, Council Bluffs, Iowa;

* Alegent Health - Midlands Hospital, Papillion, Neb.

SafetySurveillor helps hospitals meet state-mandated public reporting of certain HAIs, including screening for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Clostridium difficile, some of the most common and harmful infections found in hospitals today. With the automated SafetySurveillor system, hospitals can detect HAIs, alert staff and facilitate timely intervention to reduce and prevent infections.

Premier's SafetySurveillor is one of the HAI surveillance system software vendors participating in a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention project to develop a standards-based solution for transmission of HAI data from hospitals using existing commercial software systems to the agency's National Healthcare Safety network.

About Alegent Health

Alegent Health is the largest not-for-profit, faith-based healthcare system in Nebraska and southwestern Iowa with nine acute care hospitals, more than 100 sites of service, over 1,300 physicians on its medical staff and more than 8,600 employees. Alegent Health is making healthcare better with an exceptional commitment to quality and by providing patient focused care for the body, mind and spirit of every person consistent with its faith-based mission. Alegent Health continues the health ministry begun by its sponsors, Catholic Health Initiatives and Immanuel Health Systems, more than a hundred years ago. Alegent Health offers a continuum of care, from women's and children's services, primary care, wellness counseling, and senior care to cardiovascular services, orthopedics, oncology, physical rehabilitation, home care and behavioral health.

About Premier Inc., 2006 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award recipient

Serving 1,700 U.S. hospitals and more than 49,000 other healthcare sites, the Premier healthcare alliance and its members are transforming healthcare together. Owned by not-for-profit hospitals, Premier operates one of the leading healthcare purchasing networks and the nation's most comprehensive repository of hospital clinical and financial information. A subsidiary operates one of the nation's largest policy-holder owned, hospital professional liability risk-retention groups. A world leader in helping healthcare providers deliver dramatic improvements in care, Premier is working with the United Kingdom's National Health Service North West and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to improve hospital performance. Headquartered in San Diego, Premier has offices in Charlotte, N.C., Philadelphia, and Washington. For more information, visit www.premierinc.com.