CHARLOTTE, N.C., Dec. 12, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Over the first 18 months of the Partnership for Patients initiative, Premier, Inc.'s (Nasdaq:PINC) Hospital Engagement Network (HEN) worked with nearly 450 organizations in 37 states to reduce readmission rates by 4.9 percent and hospital-acquired conditions (HACs) by 12 percent. This equates to more than 29,000 readmissions that were prevented during this time. Premier's HEN will continue to build on this success throughout 2014 as a result of a recent third year contract extension.

The Partnership for Patients, a federal initiative, is focused on reducing preventable readmissions to hospitals by 20 percent and reducing preventable HACs by 40 percent over a three year period.

Premier will continue to work toward these goals over the course of the program's third year, which began on December 9, 2013. The anticipated financial impact of the third year for Premier has already been factored into the company's FY14 guidance.

About Premier, Inc.

Premier, Inc. (Nasdaq:PINC) is a leading healthcare improvement company, uniting an alliance of more than 2,900 U.S. hospitals and nearly 100,000 other providers to transform healthcare. With integrated data and analytics, collaboratives, supply chain solutions, and advisory and other services, Premier enables better care and outcomes at a lower cost. Premier, a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award recipient, plays a critical role in the rapidly evolving healthcare industry, collaborating with members to co-develop long-term innovations that reinvent and improve the way care is delivered to patients nationwide. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Premier is passionate about transforming American healthcare. Please visit Premier's news and investor sites on www.premierinc.com/; as well as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, Foursquare and Premier's blog for more information about the company.