NEWS RELEASE

Dallas-Based Health Care Organization Combines Forces with National Supply Company to Combat MRSA Infection

Novation Hosts Kimberly Clark’s Hospital-Acquired Infection Education & Awareness Tour Bus

IRVING, TX; February 28, 2008 — On Friday, Feb. 29, Novation, the leading health care contracting services company of VHA Inc., University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC) and Provista, LLC, is hosting an education and awareness event. Employees from Novation and local medical organizations will learn about hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) – including methicillin-resistant Staphyloccus aureus (MRSA) – what they are, how they spread and how to combat them. Participants will climb on board Kimberly Clark’s (KC) HAI education and awareness tour bus and experience interactive technology, informal instruction and Web-based workstations. The all-day awareness and education event supports Novation’s ongoing commitment to provide member health care organizations with comprehensive information and access to leading infection control products and solutions.

“The fight against HAIs needs to improve and hosting the KC HAI tour is one of many nation-wide initiatives planned this year to help alliance members win the battle against HAIs,” said Maryann Restino, Novation vice president contract & program services. “Superbugs, like MRSA, are outpacing the development and production of new antibiotics. Novation is committed to providing alliance members with the most comprehensive information on antibiotic resistant infection prevention, detection and treatment. Raising awareness of the dangers of HAIs not only in the hospital setting but in the community at-large is paramount.”

At the event, visitors will receive information about HAIs. In addition, local medical personnel will attend three free educational sessions regarding hospital-acquired infections. Live interaction sessions include:

• Mandatory Reporting of HAIs – 9:00 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
• MRSA: Time for Action – 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
• Surgical Site Infections: Overview and Impact – 1:00 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.

HAI Background

Hospital-acquired infections affect about 2 million patients annually and are responsible for an estimated 100,000 deaths. Some estimates show that more than $6 billion a year is spent on prevention, detection and treatment. MRSA is often referred to in the press as a "superbug.” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more people in the U.S. now die from hospital-acquired MRSA than from AIDS. An estimated 120,000 people develop MRSA bacterial infections in the United States each year. Average treatment costs are estimated at $27,000 to $34,000 per case, adding billions of dollars to the national health care budget. In addition, 15 percent of MRSA cases are found in gyms, schools and other community settings.

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About Novation
Founded in 1998, Irving, Texas-based, Novation is the leading health care contracting services company, delivering unmatched savings and value to nearly 2,500 members of VHA Inc. and the University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC), two national health care alliances and nearly 12,000 members of Provista, LLC. Through its competitive contracting process, Novation develops and manages contracts with more than 500 suppliers. Novation offers the most extensive range of advanced contracting services, including: contract development, contract and supplier management, custom contracting, enhanced savings programs, online contract management and analytical tools, order management and online supplier connectivity. VHA, UHC and Provista members used Novation contracts to purchase more than $33.1 billion in 2007.

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