Beckman Coulter, Inc. (Jobs) in Pact with Alverno Clinical Laboratories, LLC

FULLERTON, Calif., Sept. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Beckman Coulter, Inc. , a leading manufacturer of diagnostics instruments in the U.S., announced it has been awarded a sole-source agreement with Alverno Clinical Laboratories, LLC, to provide a full range of hematology analyzers and supplies. Alverno is an integrated laboratory services provider jointly sponsored by Sisters of St. Francis Health Services and Provena Health, with 18 hospitals and four laboratories in Illinois and Indiana.

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If all terms of the agreement are fulfilled, Alverno is expected to purchase approximately $10 million over the life of the contract. This contract covers all locations, including some that were recently added to the group through mergers with Provena Health and the Sisters of St. Francis Health Services. These locations will replace existing systems with Beckman Coulter products to achieve standardization of testing platforms throughout the network.

"Beckman Coulter is a valued business partner and the relationship is important to our success," said Sam Terese, Alverno Clinical Laboratories Chief Operating Officer. "We are very comfortable with the technology, reliability and capabilities of the Beckman Coulter hematology line, but beyond these requirements, we look to our business partners to evaluate our operations and add value by ensuring we are using their products as effectively and productively as possible."

Scott Garrett, Beckman Coulter president and CEO said, "We are pleased that Alverno will offer its members hematology instrument systems and supplies from Beckman Coulter. Our innovative solutions will help Alverno facilities simplify and automate their processes to further increase their laboratories' efficiency, helping to lower overall healthcare costs."

About Alverno Clinical Laboratories, LLC

An integrated laboratory services provided jointly sponsored by Sisters of St. Francis Health Services (SSFHS) and Provena Health, Alverno's goal is to become one of the area's most advanced and dynamic clinical laboratory providers. The integration will enable their laboratory organization to provide a higher quality of laboratory science and service and to compete better in the future. When operations are fully integrated, the network will serve 18 hospitals in Illinois and Indiana, and dozens of clinics and health centers, approaching a volume of 10 million tests annually.

About Beckman Coulter, Inc.

Based in Fullerton, California, Beckman Coulter develops, manufactures and markets products that simplify, automate and innovate complex biomedical tests. More than 200,000 Beckman Coulter systems operate in laboratories around the world, supplying critical information for improving patient health and reducing the cost of care. Recurring revenue consisting of supplies, test kits, service and operating-type lease payments represents more than 75 percent of the company's 2006 annual revenue of $2.53 billion. For more information, visit http://www.beckmancoulter.com.

Contacts: Mary Luthy, Beckman Coulter Robert Raynor, Beckman Coulter

Corporate Communications Investor Relations (714) 993-8770 (714) 773-7620

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CONTACT: Mary Luthy, Corporate Communications, +1-714-993-8770, or RobertRaynor, Investor Relations, +1-714-773-7620, both of Beckman Coulter

Web site: http://www.beckmancoulter.com/