Premier Healthcare Alliance Launches National Search for Leading Community Health Programs

CHARLOTTE, N.C.--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--The Premier healthcare alliance has launched its annual search for not-for-profit community organizations providing commendable and innovative efforts to improve the health of the medically underserved.

“The Cares Award program exemplifies Premier’s core purpose of helping our members improve the health of the communities they serve”

The Monroe E. Trout Premier Cares Award provides an annual cash prize of $70,000 to the winning organization and $24,000 to each of the five finalists. During the past 17 years, the Cares Award has presented over $3 million in funding to more than 100 not-for-profit organizations nationwide.

“The Cares Award program exemplifies Premier’s core purpose of helping our members improve the health of the communities they serve,” said Premier’s incoming President and CEO Susan DeVore. “The efforts of those who apply for the Cares Award are making real differences resulting in healthier communities, and we’re happy to provide them with support and recognition.”

The program recognizes winning organizations each year that have established innovative, replicable ways to improve the health of medically underserved communities. Award winners are encouraged to assist colleagues in other organizations to improve their programs.

To view award criteria and highlights of past recipients, as well as apply for the Cares Award, please visit www.premierinc.com/caresaward. Premier will announce award winners and finalists during its annual Governance Education Conference in January 2010.

Through Premier’s partnership with the Wye River Group on Healthcare, Premier shares best practices from Cares Award finalists at www.leadinghealthycommunities.com.

The Cares Award was founded in 1991 by Monroe Trout, M.D., former chief executive of American HealthCare Systems, Inc., one of three organizations that merged to form Premier Inc. Winners are chosen by a panel of healthcare executives based on documented and measurable improvements in the health status of the people served, including defined processes, innovation and the "reproducibility" of the program in other communities.

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.