DALLAS Broadlane has announced that Toshiba America Medical Systems was the winner in a live capital equipment group buy conducted for the category of computed tomography (CT). Participating in person at the event last week were 23 Broadlane hospital client experts representing four hospital systems and more than $22 million in anticipated spend during the next 12 months in this important category. Financial terms of the award were not announced.

As a result of the Broadlane group buy process, participating healthcare systems estimate that they will save approximately 15 percent over the next 12 months from what they expected they would have to spend on this category of equipment. Unlike typical healthcare industry capital equipment group buys, Broadlane conducts live events in which hospitals and vendors come face-to-face in the same location for detailed demonstrations, evaluations and negotiations.

Tenet Healthcare Corporation (NYSE: THC), which currently operates 66 hospitals in 12 states, was one of the participating hospital systems in the live group buy. I have participated in many capital equipment purchases in my career but I have never been a part of a group buy that was anything like Broadlanes, said Cindy Siegel, director of imaging at Palmetto General Hospital and chair of Tenets Radiology Advisory Committee. The Broadlane live group buy program is a dynamic process that gives all participants the opportunity to objectively access and evaluate fast-changing technology, service-related, contractually measurable objective criteria and the total cost of ownership associated with the purchase of medical capital equipment for its depreciable life. With the rapid advances that we are seeing in equipment, competitive vendors and complex contracting terms, we were very pleased to be able to purchase state-of-the-art capital equipment with favorable cost savings as a result of the Broadlane approach.

Said Kerry Tucker, vice president for contracting services at Broadlane: Broadlane live group buys are completely unique in our industry because they are not promotions where purchases are aggregated on behalf of pre-determined suppliers with no intent of moving market share. There are three key elements that make the Broadlane group buy approach so unique. First, they are conducted live using Broadlanes proven strategies. Second, they feature product education opportunities not available in other group buys. And finally, Broadlane ensures client empowerment and transparency in contract negotiations because Broadlane does not decide on the winning vendor our clients do. The net result for our clients is achievement of the best technology at the best value.

As to this last element, in this most recent live group buy, a clinical committee consisting of radiology department directors, physicians, administrators and technologists from participating Broadlane client hospitals spent several days in Dallas evaluating the technology, service and financial offerings of the three competing vendors.

We are pleased to have been selected through this rigorous Broadlane process, said Doug Larm, vice president of the Enterprise Business Group at Toshiba America Medical Systems. Toshiba's unique, Aquilion CT scanners capture simultaneous 0.5 mm slices with each gantry revolution, as low as 350-milliseconds, resulting in precise isotropic imaging of any region of the body for a wide range of applications, ranging from cardiac to trauma. Additionally, the superior multi-detector design produces the best low-contrast resolution at the lowest dose for overall improved diagnosis and patient care.

The next Broadlane live group buy event is for magnetic resonance (MR) equipment on October 25 and 26. Broadlane clients desiring to participate in this event should contact their account representative. Non-Broadlane client hospitals may participate in any of these events if they sign a standard agreement.

About Broadlane

Through a comprehensive set of services focused on contracting, purchasing, clinical and pharmacy cost management, labor, capital equipment and information management, Broadlane helps providers go further to reduce costs and improve financial performance.

Broadlane is known for superior and verifiable cost savings, deep clinical and operational expertise and technology that enables more effective spend management. Together, these capabilities help providers rapidly achieve industry-best procurement practices.

Broadlane serves thousands of acute care hospitals, sub-acute care facilities and physician practices across the country. The company, which is headquartered in Dallas, also has other offices in California, New York and Ohio. For more information, visit www.broadlane.com.

About Toshiba

With headquarters in Tustin, Calif., Toshiba America Medical Systems markets, sells, distributes and services diagnostic imaging systems, and coordinates clinical diagnostic imaging research for all modalities in the United States. Toshiba Medical Systems Corp., an independent group company of Toshiba Corp., is a global leading provider of diagnostic medical imaging systems and comprehensive medical solutions, such as CT, Cath & EP Labs, X-ray, Ultrasound, Nuclear Medicine, MRI and information systems. Toshiba Corp. is a leader in information and communications systems, electronic components, consumer products, and power systems. Toshiba has approximately 161,000 employees worldwide and annual sales of $54 billion. For more information, visit www.medical.toshiba.com.