Premier, Inc. Launches Mobile App With Real-Time, Secure Product Pricing for Healthcare Providers and Suppliers


- PremierConnect™ Price Lookup first app to go live in Apple App Store using Famo.us framework

New app contains data for approximately 6.75 million items from more than 1,000 suppliers, allows users to access contract information anytime, anywhere

CHARLOTTE, N.C., June 24, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Premier, Inc. (Nasdaq:PINC) has introduced PremierConnect™ Price Lookup, a mobile app allowing its member healthcare providers and contracted suppliers instant and secure access to product pricing on all types of purchasing contracts.

"The app is extremely easy to use, and I can now check pricing right from my smartphone instead of needing to be at my desk in front of my computer," said David Mimms, MBA, system director of Materials Management at Rush Health Systems (Meridian, Miss.). "The convenience of having instant accesses no matter where I am helps me significantly during contract negotiations, or any time product pricing is called into question."

PremierConnect Price Lookup (click here for a video depiction of the app) is the first app to go live in the Apple App Store using Famo.us, a cutting-edge, open source mobile application development framework. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in San Francisco, Famo.us is the fastest growing JavaScript platform on GitHub, a social coding service with more than 6 million users.

PremierConnect Price Lookup contains data for approximately 6.75 million items from over 1,000 suppliers. Using the app:

- Healthcare providers can search by product description, part number or manufacturer name to quickly find product pricing and key contract information such as specifics on price tiers, contract numbers and associated opportunities to reduce supply chain costs.

- Suppliers can validate pricing and price-activated tiers for specific healthcare facilities.

"We're continually looking for innovative and efficient ways to meet the evolving needs of our members and contracted suppliers," said Keith J. Figlioli, Premier senior vice president of healthcare informatics and a member of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT Standards Committee. "Instead of building separate apps for Apple and Android products, the Famo.us platform allowed us to develop and deliver a single high-quality, fluid mobile experience, with half of the investment typically associated with doing so." 

The app, which is iPhone, iPad and Android compatible, can be accessed in the Apple App Store on iOS and through Google Play for Android devices.

"Our mission is all about helping people do amazing things with JavaScript on any device," said Famo.us CEO Steve Newcomb, who is best known for founding Powerset, which was sold to Microsoft and is now part of Bing. "To have our technology play a role in helping Premier transform healthcare is a win-win for everyone."

According to Premier's Informatics & Technology Services Chief Operating Officer Leigh Anderson, "With this app, our member supply chain representatives and contracted suppliers have the information they need about the products they use at their fingertips – anytime, anywhere."

PremierConnect Price Lookup users will also be able to network with their peers, access analytics and share best practices in private communities through the PremierConnect™ integrated technology and social networking platform. The platform aggregates patient data on 1 in 3 U.S. hospital discharges, evidence-based best practices from 2.5 million daily clinical transactions, and approximately $41 billion in annual provider purchases. It also enables real-time member interactions across the nation.

About Premier, Inc.

Premier, Inc. (Nasdaq:PINC) is a leading healthcare improvement company, uniting an alliance of approximately 3,000 U.S. hospitals and 110,000 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.


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