A Medical Device Daily

GE Healthcare (Waukesha, Wisconsin) a provider of information technology systems across the globe is reporting an agreement to provide healthcare information technology to one of the nation's most impoverished areas.

The newly signed agreement will bring the company's Centricity Practice for Community Health Centers to Hamilton Community Health Network (HCHN; Flint Michigan), a 25-physician, six campus practice serving the area's uninsured and underinsured. According to 2008 U.S. Census Data, Flint's poverty rate sits at 35.5%, tied for the fifth highest among the country's medium and large communities. In addition, one in four residents of Genesee County, Hamilton's primary service area, lacks health insurance.

In other agreements/contracts:

• Radient Pharmaceuticals (Tustin, California) a pharmaceutical company through its wholly-owned subsidiary AMDL Diagnostics (also Tustin) reported that it has entered into an exclusive 5-year marketing and distribution agreement with Grifols (Barcelona, Spain). Under the terms of the agreement, Grifols will market and sell ADI's DR-70 Onko-Sure cancer test for the monitoring of colorectal cancer (CRC) to hospitals, clinical labs, clinics, and other healthcare organizations throughout the US.

The agreement is the latest milestone ADI has achieved in support of the company's aggressive commercialization strategy for Onko-Sure. According to the agreed upon terms, Grifols has the rights to market and distribute ADI's Onko-Sure cancer test specifically for the monitoring of colorectal cancer in the U.S. This includes developing and implementing a marketing strategy to drive product awareness; educate clinical laboratories and physicians; and generate product sales.

• Misonix (Farmingdale, New York), a developer of minimally invasive ultrasonic medical device technology, which in Europe is used for the ablation of tumors and worldwide for other acute health conditions, has entered into a new, three year distribution agreement with WeightJust (Banbury, England) for the distribution of the SonaStar Ultrasonic Surgical Aspirator.

The agreement provides WeightJust with the exclusive rights to sell in the UK and the Republic of Ireland and includes minimum purchase requirements.

WeightJust has significant experience in the distribution of medical devices and capital equipment with specialized expertise in neurosurgery.

The SonaStar is used by Neuro and General Surgeons for quick and efficient removal of both hard and soft tumors while sparing most vessels. In addition, OsteoSculpt bone shaving technology can be employed with the SonaStar to safely remove osseous structures, thus providing access to the surgical site.

The BoneScalpel is a tissue specific osteotomy device capable of making precise cuts through bone and hard tissue while largely preserving delicate soft tissue structures. It offers the convenience and speed of a power instrument without the potential hazards associated with rotary sharps.

• Premier (San Diego) reported new agreements for reusable textiles and textile services have been awarded to American Dawn (Compton, California), a minority business enterprise; Encompass Group (McDonough, Georgia); Medline Industries (Mundelein, Illinois); Phoenix Textile (Earth City, Montana), a woman business enterprise; and Standard Textile (Cincinnati). Effective Dec. 1, 2009, the agreements are available to acute care and continuum of care members of the Premier healthcare alliance.