Deerfield, Ill. - The Premier Purchasing Partners, LP, the group purchasing unit of the Premier healthcare alliance, has presented Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics with the 2009 Pinnacle Award for the fourth consecutive year. The company is one of 19 winners out of 800 eligible suppliers whose performance exceeds the expectations of Premier. Siemens is being recognized for the outstanding management of Premier agreements and serving the members of the Premier alliance, which is made up of more than 2,100 U.S. hospitals and 58,000 other health care sites.

"Receiving this award continues to be a great honor and reflects the positive partnership that we have developed with Premier through the years," said Donal Quinn, CEO, Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics. "We are committed to provide Premier members and all of our customers with the best clinical laboratory products and services possible."

"Premier is pleased to recognize our top performing suppliers with the Pinnacle Award, which honors our valued suppliers that strive for collaboration and performance excellence to the benefit of the alliance," said Premier Purchasing Partners President Mike Alkire.
Siemens accepted the award at the 2009 Premier Annual Breakthroughs Conference & Exhibition in Anaheim, California on June 17. Premier's Pinnacle Award is intended to reward Premier's contracted suppliers that support attainment of mutual goals, drive contract utilization and are committed to performance improvement. For more information about the Pinnacle Award, please visit: http://www.premierinc.com/about/news/awards/index.jsp.

Siemens provides Premier's members with a complete line of products: immunoassay, chemistry, automation, coagulation, microbiology, cardiac, drug, molecular, blood gas and urinalysis solutions.

The Siemens Healthcare Sector is one of the world's largest suppliers to the healthcare industry. The company is a renowned medical solutions provider with core competence and innovative strength in diagnostic and therapeutic technologies as well as in knowledge engineering, including information technology and system integration. With its laboratory diagnostics acquisitions, Siemens Healthcare is the first integrated healthcare company, bringing together imaging and lab diagnostics, therapy, and healthcare information technology solutions, supplemented by consulting and support services. Siemens Healthcare delivers solutions across the entire continuum of care - from prevention and early detection, to diagnosis, therapy and care. Additionally, Siemens Healthcare is the global market leader in innovative hearing instruments. The company employs around 49,000 people worldwide and operates in 130 countries. In the fiscal year 2008 (Sept. 30), Siemens Healthcare reported sales of €11.2 billion, orders of €11.8 billion, and Sector profit of €1.2 billion. Further information can be found by visiting http://www.siemens.com/healthcare.

About Premier Inc., 2006 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award recipient
The Premier healthcare alliance is more than 2,100 U.S. hospitals and 58,000-plus other healthcare sites working together to improve healthcare quality and affordability. Premier maintains the nation's most comprehensive repository of clinical, financial and outcomes information and operates a leading healthcare purchasing network. A world leader in helping deliver measurable improvements in care, Premier works with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the United Kingdom's National Health Service North West to improve hospital performance. Premier has offices in San Diego, Charlotte, N.C., Philadelphia and Washington.

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