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Iowa Health System Joins VHA's National Hospital Network, Anticipates Accelerated Supply Savings and Operational/Clinical Improvements

Iowa Health System (IHS), the nation's fifth-largest non-denominational health system, today announced it is joining VHA Inc., as a member of its national health care network. Joining VHA gives IHS access to more than 1,350 VHA members nationwide who work collaboratively to improve quality, increase efficiencies and control costs.

IHS already is realizing savings on its supply purchases by working through Novation, VHA's supply contracting company, to access its broad contract portfolio of supplies, pharmaceuticals, capital equipment and purchased services. Prior to joining VHA, IHS handled its entire supplier contracting independently.

"Our relationship with VHA will allow us to realize savings and value while maintaining the flexibility to contract directly with vendors where appropriate," said Mark Johnson, IHS vice president of supply management. "This partnership exemplifies how IHS is identifying processes and resources that will help us deliver on our vision: 'Best Outcome for Every Patient Every Time.'"

As a VHA member, IHS also will focus on improving clinical performance by connecting with peers, sharing insights and taking advantage of such VHA offerings as its Leading Practice Blueprint ®, which capture and visually depict clinical practices, cultural influences and context that lead to top performance.

"We welcome Iowa Health System as a significant addition and asset to our network," said Curt Nonomaque, VHA president & CEO. "As Iowa's largest integrated health care system, they are an integral player in the industry and we foresee enormous opportunities to help them achieve exceptional performance through cost savings and mutual learning."

About Iowa Health System:
IHS has relationships with 26 hospitals in metropolitan and rural communities and more than 200 physician clinics. With annual revenues of $2.6 billion, IHS entities provide patient care in Illinois and Iowa and employ greater than 23,000 employees.

The eight senior affiliates of IHS are: Iowa Health - Des Moines; Allen Health Systems, Inc. (Waterloo, Iowa); Finley Tri-States Health Group, Inc. (Dubuque, Iowa); St. Luke's Health System, Inc. (Sioux City, Iowa); St. Luke's Healthcare (Cedar Rapids, Iowa); Trinity Health Systems, Inc. (Fort Dodge, Iowa); Trinity Regional Health System (Rock Island, Illinois); and Methodist Health Services Corporation (Peoria, Illinois).

Over the years, IHS hospitals have received national recognition for quality, service and patient satisfaction, including the Magnet Award for Nursing Excellence, Top 100 Heart Hospital designation, HealthGrades Patient Safety Award, Gold Iowa Recognition for Performance Excellence, and more. IHS entities also include four accredited colleges of nursing and/or allied health fields and approximately 800 employed physicians.

For more information, visit www.ihs.org.

About VHA Inc.
Based in Irving, TX, VHA Inc. is a national network of not-for-profit health care organizations that work together to drive maximum savings in the supply chain arena, set new levels of clinical performance, and identify and implement best practices to improve operational efficiency and clinical outcomes. Since 1977, VHA has leveraged its expertise in analytics, contracting, consulting and networks to help members achieve their operational, clinical and financial objectives. In 2010, VHA delivered record savings and value of $1.7 billion to members. VHA serves more than 1,350 hospitals and more than 30,000 non-acute care providers nationwide, coordinating delivery of its programs and services through its 15 regional offices. VHA has been ranked as one of the best places to work in healthcare by Modern Healthcare since the publication introduced this list in 2008.