GE Healthcare (Waukesha, WI) signed a strategic agreement with InterComponentWare Inc (ICW) (Wayne, PA) to integrate and co-develop their health information exchange (HIE) solutions. The companies will leverage their existing solutions and co-develop new offerings for the health information exchange and global eHealth marketplace. GE will use ICW’s expertise in eHealth and patient connectivity to enhance Centricity® Health Information Exchange service’s existing technology, patient connectivity and communications tools while further bolstering their security and interoperability capabilities. For more information, visit www.icw-global.com/us/en/.

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) (New Brunswick, NJ) signed an agreement take over most of Elan Corp's (Dublin, Ireland) Alzheimer's research and invest $1 billion in new Elan equity in exchange for an 18.4 percent stake in the drugmaker. J&J will initially commit up to $500 million to develop and commercialize Elan's experimental Alzheimer's treatment bapineuzumab and will continue Elan's existing activities with Wyeth (Madison, NJ) under their Alzheimer's immunotherapy program.

W. L. Gore & Associates (Flagstaff, AZ), a supplier of devices used in minimally invasive surgeries, received FDA (Rockville, MD) approval for a manufacturing change to the GORE VIABAHN® Endoprosthesis. The modification is a result of the precision laser trimming technology which enables the removal of excess material at the device margin, resulting in a contoured edge. The device is the only stent-graft approved by the FDA for the treatment of patients suffering from Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) in superficial femoral artery (SFA) lesions and iliac artery lesions. GORE VIABAHN Endoprosthesis is indicated for improving blood flow in patients with symptomatic peripheral arterial disease in superficial femoral artery lesions with reference diameters ranging from 4.0 - 7.5 mm.

UMass Memorial Health Care System (Worcester, MA) and Bethesda Healthcare System (Boynton Beach, FL) signed agreements to install the Soarian Healthcare Information System from Siemens Corp (New York, NY). Under a seven-year contract, UMass will implement Soarian Clinicals, Soarian Financials, and Soarian Quality Measures, a healthcare data-mining tool that helps hospitals expedite the submission of quality measures through automated chart abstraction. The technology will assist UMass with efforts to consolidate its revenue-cycle system, enhance patient-safety initiatives, and achieve quality improvement objectives. Bethesda Healthcare System's nine-year contract extends its 25-year relationship with Siemens. The contract includes migration to Soarian Clinicals, Soarian Critical Care, Soarian Emergency Department, Patient Identification Check, and Soarian Quality Measures. The contract affects approximately 550 Bethesda Healthcare physicians in over 30 areas of specialty. Additionally, Saint Joseph Hospital (Cheektowaga, NY) and Richmond Medical Center (Richmond, IL) installed Soarian Financials in early 2009.

Nexera Inc (New York, NY), an international healthcare consulting group, appointed Jennifer Silver as its new VP of operations and technology. She will be responsible for the practice leadership and client service for healthcare–related strategy, process improvement, cost reduction, information technology and program management initiatives in client healthcare facilities throughout the U.S. and the world. Silver comes to Nexera with extensive leadership and management consulting experience spanning Fortune 200, not-for-profit and privately held organizations.

Rehoboth McKinley Christian Health Care Services (Gallup, NM) named Karen Lautermilch to fill the role of CEO, effective July 27, 2009. Lautermilch was formerly chief patient officer for Highline Medical Center (Burien, WA), a 270-bed, two-campus medical facility. Rehoboth McKinley includes a 69-bed, full-service acute care hospital, three outpatient clinics, hospice, home health and behavioral health services.

Scottsdale Healthcare (Scottsdale, AZ) joined VHA Inc (Irving, TX) to help drive efficiency and improve the quality of care it offers patients. The healthcare system based its decision on the strength of VHA's supply chain management program, the breadth of its clinical improvement services and the opportunities VHA provides to network with other leaders across the VHA alliance.

Due to the July 4th holiday, the Dail-E News will not be published tomorrow, Friday, July 3. It will resume on Monday, July 6. We wish everyone a safe and happy Fourth of July!

Premier Inc (Charlotte, NC) released a new comprehensive pediatric catalog to help member hospitals quickly and easily find products that are specifically designated for use with babies, children and adolescents. The 547-page catalog contains 8,713 items in 84 product categories representing 127 suppliers. Premier’s Safety Institute also developed a publicly accessible Pediatric Safety Web site. This site, www.premierinc.com/quality-safety/tools-services/safety/topics/pediatrics/index.jsp, provides a comprehensive collection of key resources, legislation and updates from governmental and professional organizations focused on improving the quality and safety of pediatric care.

Quotes last updated at 7/1/2009 10:31:11 PM EST