3.13.2007 - 02:50pm ET

(CSRwire) WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 13, 2007--The Premier healthcare alliance today received the nation's top business excellence award from Vice President Dick Cheney for major contributions to improving nationwide patient outcomes while safely reducing the cost of care.

Vice President Cheney and Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez presented the 2006 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award - the nation's highest Presidential honor for quality and organizational performance excellence - to Richard A. Norling, Premier president and CEO. Also on stage to receive the award was Kelli Price, Premier vice president for organizational engagement and performance excellence.

"The 200 hospitals and health systems that own the Premier alliance stepped forward 10 years ago with a remarkable vision for making a difference in healthcare quality, safety and cost of care," Norling said. "Thanks to their foresight and dedication, today we're harnessing the collective knowledge and passion of more than 1,700 hospitals to positively impact the efficiency and effectiveness of America's healthcare system."

First granted in 1987, The Baldrige Award annually is presented by the Commerce Department to recognize American organizations for their achievements in quality and business performance and to raise awareness about the importance of quality and performance as a competitive edge. The Commerce Department selects a maximum of three organizations to honor each year from among the following fields: education, healthcare, manufacturing, service and small business.

Premier Inc. was selected for the Baldrige honor, along with MESA Products, Inc. of Tulsa, Okla. and North Mississippi Medical Center of Tupelo, Miss., from among a total of 76 organizations that applied for the award in 2006. In addition, Premier was one of only 15 organizations nationally to receive facility visits with Premier staff by Baldrige Award examiners last year.

"Today marks a wonderful milestone on our journey," Norling said in his acceptance speech. "But our ultimate goal is to transform American healthcare - to make it the safest, most efficient and effective healthcare system in the world. It is that goal that pulls us forward - and that this award truly celebrates."

About Premier, 2006 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award 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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