Non-profit health care systems MedStar Health, Novant Health and Sentara Healthcare joined forces to form the MNS Supply Chain Network.
Together, MedStar, Novant and Sentara have more than 700 health care sites across Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Washington, D.C.
"The MNS Network’s strategic alliance will create concrete avenues for economies of scale and help us to derive significant supply chain savings," Michael Curran, chairman of the board of MNS Supply Chain Network said in prepared remarks. "Our shared commitment to volume aggregated contracting strategies will drive value for all the organizations, their patients and communities."
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Catholic Healthcare West inked a three-year, $4.3 million deal to implement AirStrip Technologies mHealth AirStrip OB system across its three-state hospital network.
Airstrip OB was the first iPhone app to land FDA approval for remote patient monitoring and will connect Catholic West docs to moms in labor.
"The technology means that doctors can be at the bedside virtually, even when they can’t be present for every hour of labor. Traditionally, nurses read bedside monitors, call a doctor and verbally describe what they are seeing," said Catholic West. "With AirStrip OB, doctors can remotely monitor their patients and see up to four hours of data."
Patient Safety Technologies (PINK:PSTX) subsidiary SurgiCount Medical inked a new supply deal with GPO giant Premier health care alliance for its SurgiCount Safety-Sponge system to eliminate retained surgical sponges.
Hospital GPOs have been vocal about signing contract recently, perhaps in response to Medtronic’s (NYSE:MDT) headline-making, Wall Street-pleasing decision to cut several contracts worth an estimated $2 billion a year for its cardiovascular and orthopedic products with Novation in February.
Premier signed contracts earlier this year with med-tech superpowers Covidien (NYSE:COV), Medline Industries and Siemens AG (NYSE:SI).
