For Immediate Release
Medline Awarded Premier Surgical Hand Scrub Contract
Contract includes Sterillium Rub for surgical hand antisepsis
Tuesday, April 07, 2009 — Medline Industries, Inc., the nation's largest privately held manufacturer and distributor of healthcare supplies, recently signed a three-year national agreement with Premier Purchasing Partners, L.P., the group purchasing unit of Premier Inc., to provide Premier members access to contracts for surgical hand scrub supplies, including hand rub antiseptics and scrub brushes.
Starting May 1, the multi-source award includes Medline's Sterillium Rub surgical hand antisepsis scrub. It has been shown that the higher the concentration of alcohol in surgical hand antiseptics, the higher the effectiveness against the resident hand flora. This means that alcohol at a concentration of 80 percent is far more effective than alcohol at a concentration of 60 percent.1,2 Sterillium Rub is the only product formulated with 80 percent alcohol to ensure a rapid, but also extensive and thorough, effect. At the same time, Sterillium's well-balanced emollient blend leaves hands feeling soft and smooth, not greasy or sticky, and it dries quickly and leaves no buildup, allowing quicker, easier gloving. Sterillium Rub is dispensed via an innovative touchless dispensing system rated "intrinsically safe" for use in an O.R. environment.
"Hand hygiene is one of the most important procedures in preventing the spread of infections, and Sterillium, with its high alcohol content, effectively kills microorganisms while protecting the skin," said Kurt Krieghbaum, senior vice president, Medline National Accounts. "We are proud to be able to offer our high-quality products at a great value to Premier's membership."
References
1 Kampf G, Kapella M, Suitability of Sterillium Gel for surgical hand disinfection. Journal of Hospital Infection. 2003; 54: 222-225
2 Rotter ML, Handwashing and hand disinfection. In: Mayhall CG (ed.). Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
About Premier, Inc., 2006 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Recipient
The Premier healthcare alliance is more than 2,100 U.S. hospitals and 54,000-plus other healthcare sites working together to improve healthcare quality and affordability. Premier maintains the nation's most comprehensive repository of clinical, financial and outcomes information and operates a leading healthcare purchasing network. A world leader in helping deliver measurable improvements in care, Premier works with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the United Kingdom's National Health Service North West to improve hospital performance. Premier has offices in San Diego, Charlotte, N.C., Philadelphia and Washington.
About Medline
Medline, the nation's largest privately held manufacturer and distributor of healthcare products, manufactures and distributes more than 100,000 products to hospitals, extended care facilities, surgery centers, home care dealers and agencies and other markets. Headquartered in Mundelein, IL, Medline has more than 800 dedicated sales representatives nationwide to support its broad product line and cost management services.
Over the past five years, Medline has been the fastest growing distributor of medical and surgical supplies in the U.S., serving as the primary distributor to over 250 major hospitals and health care systems. As a leading distributor, Medline offers a comprehensive array of consulting and management services encompassing the supply chain and logistics, utilization and standardization, business tools and enhanced reporting capabilities, and on-staff clinicians.
Medline has a growing network of 34 distribution centers around the country, as well as an expanding, dedicated transportation fleet with over 160 vehicles in a variety of sizes to fit customers' specific delivery needs. The fleet is equipped with the latest navigation devices for enhanced order tracking and communication.