New Jersey Hospital Implements Premier's Clinical Advisor(TM); Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton Signs Two-Year Agreement to Support Overall Quality Improvement Efforts.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton, located in Hamilton, N.J., has signed a two-year agreement to implement Premier, Inc.'s Clinical Advisor(TM).

The evidence-based solution identifies opportunities for improvement in clinical quality, cost and utilization via Perspective(TM), the nation's largest clinical comparative database. Perspective maintains more than three billion patient charge records and 2.8 terabytes of data, allowing healthcare facilities to measure clinical outcomes, benchmark against best-practice hospitals and track performance improvement results.

Premier will provide RWJ Hamilton with the tools necessary to measure, benchmark and improve performance against a number of criteria at both a state and national level. In 2004, RWJ Hamilton became the first hospital in the state and the fourth in the nation to receive the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation's highest distinction for overall performance excellence and quality achievement. The hospital also has received the Quality New Jersey Governor's Award for Performance Excellence at the Gold level in both 2001 and 2004. The award recognizes outstanding organizational practices and leadership commitment and is the highest and most respected state-based designation of quality an organization can receive.

"We strive to meet structured criteria for performance excellence that can be used to achieve overall quality improvement," said Shashi Madhok, vice president of quality. "Premier's Clinical Advisor will help us continue to take our performance excellence standards to the highest level to ensure that our patients and the community receive outstanding healthcare services."

Premier's Clinical Advisor will help RWJ Hamilton identify clinical and financial opportunities for improvement and prepare for participation in pay-for-performance and public reporting initiatives.

"RWJ Hamilton is taking the steps necessary to promote consistent, high quality healthcare," said Stephanie Alexander, senior vice president and general manager for Premier Healthcare Informatics. "We're proud to support RWJ Hamilton's commitment to exceptional patient care, as well as clinical and financial excellence."

Premier's tools and services are used by more than 700 hospitals nationwide to improve care, safely reduce costs, adhere to regulatory standards and benefit from pay-for-performance initiatives.

About Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton

Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton, a recipient of the 2004 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, is a not-for-profit health care provider dedicated to offering the highest quality of hospital, emergency and outpatient services to the Greater Mercer County community. Located in Hamilton Township, New Jersey, the hospital has over 1,750 employees and over 650 physicians on the medical staff, representing over 30 medical specialties. The hospital is part of the Robert Wood Johnson Health System and Network and is affiliated with the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. The hospital's Community Health Education program is one of New Jersey's most comprehensive. Facilities include the RWJ Hamilton Center for Health and Wellness, a medically-based fitness facility, and the Cancer Institute of New Jersey at Hamilton (CINJ-H), an affiliate member of the Cancer Institute of New Jersey, the only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer center in the state. Information about RWJ Hamilton is available by dialing the HealthConnection at (609) 584-5900 and on the Internet at www.rwjhamilton.org.

About Premier Healthcare Informatics

Premier Healthcare Informatics offers performance measurement, benchmarking, and reporting products and related advisory services and methodologies to support health systems' and hospitals' quality improvement efforts. Among its products and services, Premier Healthcare Informatics offers the Advisor Suite(TM) of clinical and operational performance measurement and reporting solutions; best practice methodologies to directly implement quality improvement programs; project-specific guidance; and on-site expertise to support improvement of clinical outcomes and efficiency of care. Areas of expertise include JCAHO and CMS performance measurement, clinical and operational benchmarking, labor management programs, balanced scorecards, patient satisfaction, evidence-based research, and patient safety. Premier Healthcare Informatics is part of Premier, Inc., a strategic healthcare alliance that provides an array of performance solutions to hospitals and other providers. For more information about Premier Healthcare Informatics, visit www.premierinc.com/informatics or call 800.805.4608.