DALLAS - Broadlane, a procurement services company for healthcare, has announced that Ascension Health, the largest Catholic and nonprofit health system in the United States, has selected Broadlane to provide an array of procurement services under an exclusive three-year agreement. Terms were not announced.

Under the agreement, Broadlane will provide Ascension Health with national and local strategic procurement services for consumable supplies and equipment, pharmaceuticals and purchased services. Ascension Health will gain access to Broadlane's existing industry-leading portfolio of contracts and, in addition, Broadlane will assist Ascension Health in developing custom sourcing initiatives in areas of high physician preference. Broadlane will deploy a number of full-time supply chain experts who will be dedicated to helping Ascension Health take full advantage of Broadlane's contracts and other services.

Ascension Health selected Broadlane as its Group Purchasing Organization (GPO)after conducting an extensive year-long discernment process that looked at a variety of alternatives. The agreement with Broadlane will become effective on Oct. 1, 2006, when Ascension Health's current group purchasing relationship expires.
"At Ascension Health we are focused on our mission of serving all with special attention to those who are poor and vulnerable," said Mike Langlois, Senior Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer of Ascension Health. "To maximize the
ability of our ministries to serve their communities, we need to operate as efficiently as possible, moving our organization toward the very best demonstrated practices in healthcare. We believe that Broadlane will help us achieve our goals."

Said Charles E. Saunders, M.D., Broadlane's Chief Executive Officer: "We are enormously proud to have been chosen for this assignment by one of the nation's largest and most respected health systems, not only because of the very rigorous and objective competitive process they went through, which validates our contract portfolio and services, but because we know they put a great deal of emphasis on business practices, seeking the highest level of ethics and integrity, compatible with Ascension Health's mission. We look forward to exceeding Ascension Health's high expectations for the relationship."

With the addition of Ascension Health, Broadlane continues to expand its faith-based client roster. Other Broadlane faith-based health system clients include CHRISTUS Health, Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Health System, and Catholic Healthcare Services of Long Island. With Ascension Health's purchase volume included, Broadlane's combined purchase volume will exceed $10 billion annually.

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