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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: David McDonough
Phone: 703-243-9262

HIGPA Adds First International Industry Member -- S.A.R.E.L.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 18, 2000) -- The Health Industry Group Purchasing Association (HIGPA) is pleased to announce that S.A.R.E.L., an Israel-based group purchasing association (GPO), has become the association's first international industry member.

S.A.R.E.L. is Israel's largest single supplier of goods and services to health care and medical institutions. S.A.R.E.L.'s unique purchasing and distribution center supplies its health care customers with a large variety of goods and services from a broad selection of manufacturers and suppliers in Israel and abroad.

"HIGPA is pleased to have its first international GPO member," said Robert Betz, Ph.D., HIGPA Executive Director. "I think S.A.R.E.L.'s decision to join HIGPA illustrates what many industry leaders have found domestically: that one way to meet the challenges they face is to be part of a broad-based alliance, like HIGPA, that promotes the interests of the entire supply chain."

"No other association can claim the same kind of interaction and ongoing commitment to collaborative efforts with the health care industry's vendors, distributors, wholesalers, and manufacturers. We sincerely welcome S.A.R.E.L. to our membership," Betz added.

HIGPA's Trading Partner Members include many of the nation's leading health care product and medical supply manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers and related suppliers. HIGPA's Industry Members include for-profit and not-for-profit corporations, purchasing groups, associations, multi-hospital systems, and health care provider alliances. According to a recent study conducted by a former principal analyst at the Congressional Budget Office, U.S. hospitals saved patients up to $19 billion in 1999 by purchasing products through group contracts.

HIGPA is a chartered trade association of over 160 health care purchasing and supply chain organizations that serve approximately three out of every four U.S. acute care hospitals, as well as most of the long term care, home care and medical group practice markets. To learn more about HIGPA, visit our web site: www.higpa.org or call 703-243-9262.

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