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

Novation Receives HIGPA's 2001 Purchaser of the Year Award

WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 24, 2001) - Health care supply chain management company Novation received on October 16 the Health Industry Group Purchasing Association's Purchaser of the Year Award at HIGPA's 2001 International EXPO in Palm Desert, California. This was Novation's second time receiving this distinction, as the 1999 Purchaser of the Year Award also went to the Irving, Texas-based supply company of VHA Inc. and the University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC.)

Ed Gravell, HIGPA Board of Directors chairman-elect and director of health systems at Allegiance Healthcare, presented this prestigious award to Mark McKenna, president of Novation

"On behalf of all Novation employees, the members of VHA and UHC and our supply partners, Novation is honored to receive HIGPA's Purchaser of the Year award," said McKenna. "HIGPA is a strong supporter in our industry, serving as the forum for all participants in the health care supply chain to come together to share ideas. This helps drive efficiencies and improvements for everyone, in turn helping us achieve our goal of bringing value to VHA and UHC members."

Novation was established in January 1998 through a combination of the supply programs of VHA and UHC, two national health care alliances comprised of community-based and academic health care organizations. Novation serves the purchasing needs of more than 2,300 members and affiliates of VHA and UHC. Novation manages more than $17 billion in annual purchases for VHA and UHC members. For more information, go to www.novationco.com.

Presented each October, the Purchaser of the Year Award honors the group purchasing organization who has proven to be a leader in the purchasing community and demonstrates the promise of future accomplishments. The award criteria state that the organization must have made significant contributions to the health care field, to their customers and membership, and to HIGPA. Nominations were collected from the HIGPA membership earlier this year, with the final vote taken by HIGPA members attending the 2001 EXPO.

"Novation exceeded all of the criteria for the Purchaser of the Year Award," said Gravell. "Its leadership has given unselfishly of their time, wisdom and resources to promote the growth and success of the group purchasing industry."

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 Bayer Corporation.

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