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

HIGPA'S MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES FORUM BRINGS INDUSTRY'S LEADING MINDS TOGETHER TO DISCUSS THE FUTURE OF THE HEALTH CARE SUPPLY CHAIN

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 14, 2001) - The Health Industry Group Purchasing Association's (HIGPA) 2001 Medical Technologies Forum held in New Orleans, Louisiana May 9-11, 2001 featured lively discussions of critical issues confronting the health care supply chain in general and the medical technologies industry in particular.

Topics discussed included future trends in medical technologies, physicians preferences for specific equipment, the impact of the stock market on the health care supply chain, changes caused by the Medicare prospective payment system, HIPAA compliance, a federal health care policy update, trends in hospital operating margins, and two roundtable discussions focusing on GPO consolidation and vertical health care integration.

"This year's HIGPA Medical Technologies Forum provided attendees with access to important information on many of the most pressing issues facing the industry today," said Robert Betz, Ph.D., HIGPA president and CEO. "No other conference allows people from all areas of the health care supply chain the opportunity to debate the future of the industry, combined with the ability to interact and network on a personal level."

The first educational session was led by Joe Flower, author of "Technological Advances and the Next 50 Years of Cardiology." He forecasted the impact of many cutting-edge medical technology changes in genomics, pharmacology, neo-organs, robotics, and nano-technology. Due to innovative technologies "We are not going to see incremental changes in health care, we will see the end of health care as we know it," Flower predicted.

Following Flower's predictions was a discussion led by highly respected physicians and other clinicians focusing on medical technologies that they prefer to use and what they hope will be available in the future. Dr. Tracey E. Strevey, Jr., HSCA Physician Consultant, told attendees that "huge investments is bringing health care into step with technology…the way the supply industry interacts with the delivery system is sure to change." Steve Snow, Director of Perfusion Services, Winthrop University Hospital, predicted that "all portions of cardiac surgery will be done through minor incisions, with the assistance of robotics" which will allow older physicians to continue practicing medicine because hand shaking will no longer be a problem due to innovative robotic equipment. Dr. Jason Lazar, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Stony Brook University; Ralph C. Merkle, Principal Fellow, Zyvex Corporation; and Dr. Michael D. Williams, Director of Surgical Critical Care and Trauma, Georgetown University Hospital also give their insights on what the future holds and how the industry can best integrate these new technologies into the provider setting.

Opening the second day of the conference were two leading experts in the financial industry-Michael Casey, a private health care analyst, and Todd Richter, Managing Director, Healthcare Equity Research Group, Banc of America Securities. Discussion centered on how the financial market will influence the medical technology industry. Richter informed attendees that the "human genome mapping has revolutionized health care" and what will now occur is unprecedented spending of resources on healthy people. He continued that the acceleration in health care cost trends has never been so high and that hospital volumes are going to rise dramatically over the next forty years. Casey told industry leaders that "start-up health care companies have replaced technology companies on the go to investments of the future."

The second panel discussion focused on the changes to the medical technology industry that have come about from the Medicare prospective payment system. Lisa Remington, Publisher of The Remington Report and a noted expert on the PPS told Forum participants "that the market will now determine pricing and the provider will not."

Following this segment was a discussion on the profound changes that the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) has created for the health care industry. Moderating the discussion was John D. Laslavic, VP Business Development, Medebiz, Inc. and joining him as panelists were Cindy Smith, Technology Security HIPAA Manager, PriceWaterhouseCoopers and Michael Thieme, Senior Consultant, International Biometric Group.

The conference's agenda then switched tracks and educational sessions were transformed into less formal roundtable discussions. The first informal discussion focused on GPO consolidation and trends in purchasing and the second roundtable concentrated on the future of vertical health care integration.

A discussion of federal health care policy kicked off the last day of the conference. Leading expert John Zakotnik, Executive Editor, The Gray Sheet informed attendees that "the philosophy in Washington has a sympathetic ear for medical technology, but no great sense of urgency." In addition, he predicted that politically the time is here for Congress to pass two major bills, a drug benefit and tax cut.

The final educational session of the Medical Technologies Forum focused on trends in hospital operating margins. Moderating this session was Anthony Montagnolo, VP Technology Planning, ECRI and joining him was Derwood Dunbar, President and CEO, MAGNET, Inc.; Kevin Spiegel, Senior VP and COO, Southampton Hospital; and Deborah Deinstadt, Senior VP Sales, USCS Equipment Technology Solutions. Panelists informed conference attendees that HIPAA, safety needle legislation and other federal policies will drive prices up. Deinstadt said that "the health care industry will have to produce high quality, low cost and relevant competitive solutions."

HIGPA's 2002 Medical Technologies forum will be held from June 3-5, 2002 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Key Biscayne, Florida. For registration or sponsorship information, please contact Russell Werlinich, HIGPA's Director of Education and Program Management, at 703-243-9262.

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 saved patients up to $19 billion in 1999 by purchasing products through group contracts.

HIGPA is a chartered trade association of approximately 180 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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