A Medical Device Daily

MD Buyline (Dallas) reported a strategic relationship with CRG Solutions (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) to assist healthcare clients of both firms by reducing costs associated with capital equipment acquisition and maintenance supply chains.

"This partnership brings two experienced leaders in healthcare capital equipment cost reduction together," said Mike Clemens, CEO of MD Buyline. "In the capital equipment purchasing process, it is vital for healthcare organizations to have actionable market knowledge coupled with the right tools, processes, and data embedded in their organization's operations. Clients will now have access to both resources working in a holistic manner to effectively deliver cost savings on capital equipment."

"Healthcare providers face many challenges in stretching their limited capital budgets to meet a seemingly insatiable demand for new medical equipment technology," said Darren Vianueva, president of CRG. "Through this partnership, clients will have credible marketplace data leveraged with processes and tools to help source capital equipment much more efficiently and consistently while fulfilling the provider's need to adopt new medical equipment technologies within budgetary constraints. This alliance will enable sustainable improvement for clients by reducing initial capital equipment acquisition costs as well as ongoing life cycle ownership costs. MD Buyline and CRG Solutions have demonstrated the ability to improve internal processes for clients, deliver cost reduction in the capital equipment supply chain, and maximize return on investment."

In other agreements/contracts news:

• Allscripts (Chicago) said that Lake Region Healthcare (Fergus Falls, Minnesota) has selected the Allscripts Electronic Health Record (EHR) and Practice Management (PM) solution to enhance the quality of patient care, improve patient communications and better manage the cost of care delivery for 50 affiliated physicians and mid-level providers employed by Fergus Falls Medical Group.

• Telit Wireless Solutions (Sgonico, Italy) reported that its GE864-QUAD M2M module was selected by Vitality (Cambridge, Massachusetts) as the cellular connectivity module in the company's pill bottle caps, called GlowCaps. Vitality GlowCaps provide individualized feedback programs that help people improve prescription adherence. "For the first time in the healthcare industry we can use minute-by-minute adherence data to motivate healthy behavior," said David Rose, CEO of Vitality. "Telit's module enables Vitality to call people when they don't take their medication and refill people's medications before they run out." GlowCaps fit on standard prescription bottles and use light then sound reminders then a phone call or text message so people don't miss a dose. Every time the pill bottle is opened the GlowCaps securely sends data to Vitality using the AT&T cellular network via Telit's module. Daily adherence information is used to compile periodic progress reports that are e-mailed to patients, caregivers and doctors.

• Kore Telematics (Alpharetta, Georgia) and Motorola (Schaumburg, Illinois) have collaborated to obtain CDMA device approval for the MedApps HealthPal MA106 and the M2M Communications (Boise, Idaho) Tracker. The MedApps Mobile Wireless Health Monitoring System relies on the KORE cellular M2M network to remotely collect, store and report timely and accurate health information from any location. MedApps HealthPal MA106 is a core component of the system. It helps patients play a more active role in their own healthcare while staying connected to their healthcare providers. For clinicians, it provides a convenient way to monitor and review daily health readings.

• Premier Purchasing Partners (Charlotte, North Carolina) reported new agreements for arthroscopy supplies have been awarded to ConMed Linvatec (Largo, Florida), Smith & Nephew (Andover, Massachusetts) and Stryker (Kalamazoo, Michigan).

Effective May 1, 2010, the agreements are available to acute care and continuum of care members of the Premier healthcare alliance.

• ClaimRemedi (Santa Rosa, California), a provider of claim life cycle management solutions, has signed an agreement with HealthPac Computer Systems (Savannah, Georgia) in which ClaimRemedi will provide a complete end-to-end revenue cycle management solution for HealthPac customers.