Publications | FAQs | HIGPA Code of Conduct Principles

	Receive our bi-monthly Chairman’s Report to stay up-to-date with industry news, trends and advances.
	Receive our daily eNews which provides our members with tools that assist them in responding to challenges and opportunities within our industry.
	And more ...

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

HIGPA Kicks-Off 2001 International EXPO;
Elects 2002-2003 Board of Directors

WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 24, 2001) - The membership of the Health Industry Group Purchasing Association elected a new set of members to its Board of Directors for terms beginning on January 1, 2002 at HIGPA's 2001 International EXPO on October 15, 2001 in Palm Desert, CA.

Following the election at the Annual Meeting of the membership, EXPO attendees were welcomed to the three-day event by HIGPA President & CEO Robert Betz, Ph.D., and HIGPA Chairman Gerry Vicenzi at the First General Session, sponsored by the newly renamed Amersham Health, formerly Nycomed Amersham.

Ron Smith, Vice President for National Accounts at Amersham Health told attendees that "the new name symbolizes our continued evolution. We are ideally positioned with a portfolio of quality products to help meet today's changing health care needs."

The five new members of the Board, whose terms will run from January 1, 2002 to December 31, 2003, are:

• Mark McKenna: President, Novation
• Rand Ballard: President, GPO Business, MedAssets, Inc.
• Todd Ebert: Executive Vice President, AmeriNet Inc.
• Scott Farrar: Vice President National Agreements, HealthTrust Purchasing Group
• Tom Sullivan: Director, National Accounts, Hill-Rom

The four departing members, whose terms expire on December 31, 2001 are:

• Eldon Petersen: President, Healthcare Purchasing Partners Intl.
• John Piazza: Vice President, Sales, CHAMPS Management Services
• John Strong: President & CEO, Consorta, Inc.
• Victor Samolovitch: Senior Vice President, AmeriNet Central

Betz thanked these Board members for their time volunteering for HIGPA and told the membership that each of them offered important insight and comments during their tenure. In addition, Betz presented a plaque to each of the departing members commemorating their service.

Additionally, Steve Stuber, Senior Vice President for Strategic Partnerships & Business Development at McKesson Corp., was re-elected to the Board for a term expiring December 31, 2002.

Finally, current Board member Wayne Thompson, President & COO at Konica Medical Imaging was elected to the post of Secretary of the Board after the retirement of Thompson Jamieson, formerly of Health Services Corporation of America.

Following is a complete listing of the 2002-2003 Board of Directors:

• Chairman, Gerald Vicenzi: President, SYNERNET
• Immediate Past Chair, Derwood B. Dunbar, Jr.: President & CEO, MAGNET, Inc.
• Chairman-Elect, Ed Gravell: Director, Health Systems, Allegiance Healthcare
• Treasurer, Alfred J. LoBiondo: Senior Vice President, Supply Chain Management, GNYHA Services
• Secretary, Wayne Thompson: President & COO, Konica Medical Imaging
• Steve Stuber: Senior Vice President for Strategic Partnerships & Business Development, McKesson Corp.
• D. McWilliams Kessler: CEO, Wills Eye Hospital
• Howard E. Sanders: Senior Vice President, Group Purchasing Services, Premier, Inc.
• Henry Levi: National Accounts, Eli Lilly & Co
• Allan Fine: Vice President, CHPS Consulting
• Mark McKenna: President, Novation
• Rand Ballard: President, GPO Business, MedAssets, Inc.
• Todd Ebert: Executive Vice President, AmeriNet Inc.
• Scott Farrar: Vice President National Agreements, HealthTrust Purchasing Group
• Tom Sullivan: Director, National Accounts, Hill-Rom
• Robert Betz, Ph.D.: President & CEO, HIGPA

HIGPA's annual International EXPO was held this year in Palm Desert, California. Over 620 executives and senior managers from health care related companies attended this three-day educational and networking event, including leading Silver Sponsors GlaxoSmithKline and Bayer Corporation.

GlaxoSmithKline, EXPO Silver Sponsor. GlaxoSmithKline-one of the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies-is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer. For company information, visit the GlaxoSmithKline web site.

Bayer Corporation, EXPO Silver Sponsor. Bayer Corporation is a research-based company with major business in health care and life sciences, and chemicals. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Bayer Corp. had sales of $10.1 billion in 2000 and is one of Fortune magazine's Most Admired Companies. It is a member of the worldwide Bayer Group, based in Leverkusen, Germany. For more information, visit the Bayer Corporation web site.

HIGPA is a chartered trade association of approximately 175 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.

HIGPA's trading partner members include many of the world'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, hospitals save patients approximately $20 billion each year by purchasing products through group contracts.

Return to Press Room