Zassi Medical Evolutions Release: Awarded A Sole-Source Agreement With Premier
FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla., Jan. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Zassi Medical Evolutions, Inc. announced today that it has been awarded a group purchasing contract with Premier Purchasing Partners, LP. The agreement, which is effective February 1, 2005, offers the groundbreaking Zassi Bowel Management System(TM) to Premier members.
After a comprehensive clinical and financial review, Premier's member clinical committee recommended the award to offer Premier members access to Zassi's exclusive system. Because the committee believed the Zassi BMS is unique to the market and offers an alternative to current clinical practices, the agreement is sole-source.
"We are very pleased to have the opportunity to collaborate with Premier members in improving patient outcomes," said Peter von Dyck, President and CEO of Zassi Medical Evolutions, Inc. "Trillions of bacteria are present in each gram of feces and many of these bacteria cause hospital acquired infections. The Premier contract award provides further validation that the Zassi BMS is a new and valuable weapon in the fight against hospital acquired infections," stated von Dyck.
U.S. healthcare systems continue to endorse the clinical importance of the Zassi BMS to their institutions. Addison K. May, MD, FACS, FCCM, Associate Professor of Surgery and Anesthesiology, Division of Trauma and Surgical Critical Care and Director, Surgical Critical Care, of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, recently acknowledged that value.
Dr. May states that "the inability to contain the fecal output of critically ill and non-ambulatory patients is both a common and potentially deleterious problem in the acute care setting. Lack of fecal containment can result in breakdown of skin, contamination and exacerbation of wounds and surgical sites, and potentially contribute to the spread of antibiotic resistant pathogens. Clinicians at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have found the Zassi Bowel Management System (BMS)(TM) to be a highly effective means of containing the fecal output of critically ill and non-ambulatory patients, thus protecting patients and care providers from fecal contact and contamination."
The Zassi Bowel Management System is an effective stool collection/diversion system designed for the comfort and protection of patients by helping to reduce the incidence of hospital acquired infections that may be acquired through contact with potentially harmful and infectious pathogens contained in stool. The diversion and containment of fecal waste in the non-ambulatory patient populations can improve patient outcomes by limiting exposure to the enteric pathogens that are commonly harbored in stool and can cause hospital acquired infections such as urinary tract, skin & soft tissue and bloodstream infections. The system allows the caregiver to proactively manage and utilize the bowel by not only collecting and containing stool but also by monitoring output levels and by providing clinicians with a means to deliver and retain irrigants and medications.
About Zassi
Founded in 1997, Zassi Medical Evolutions, Inc. is an emerging and privately held organization that designs, develops, manufactures, and commercializes high technology medical devices. The company is headquartered in Fernandina Beach, Florida. For further information about Zassi Medical Evolutions, Inc, or the Zassi Bowel Management System, please visit the company's website at http://www.zassimedical.com/ , via email at info@zassimedical.com or phone (904) 261-2169.
About Premier, Inc.
Premier, Inc. is a strategic alliance in U.S. healthcare, entirely owned by nearly 200 of the nation's leading hospital and healthcare systems. These systems operate or are affiliated with nearly 1,500 hospital facilities in 50 states and hundreds of other care sites. Premier provides an array of resources supporting health services delivery in the key areas of supply chain improvement and group purchasing, comparative data and benchmarking, and insurance. Premier is headquartered in San Diego, CA, with offices in Chicago, IL and Charlotte, NC. Advocacy and policy offices are located in Washington, DC. For more information, visit http://www.premierinc.com/ .
Zassi Medical Evolutions, Inc.CONTACT: Ashley McCarroll of Zassi Medical Evolutions, Inc.,+1-904-261-2169