GHX Announces 2010 Best-in-Class Market Segment Award Winners

ORLANDO, Fla., March 31 /PRNewswire/ -- GHX today announced the market segment winners of the seventh annual Best-in-Class Awards, recognizing medical-surgical manufacturers that achieved the top-share position in six specific markets: Hospital, Long-Term Care, Treatment Centers, Home Health Care, Physician Office and Clinical Laboratory, which is a new category this year. The winners were honored at the 10th Annual GHX Supply Chain Summit in Orlando, March 29-31, 2010 – the largest event in healthcare that focuses on the entire supply chain and brings participants together to address common issues.

Best-in-Class market segment winners were determined using GHX Market Intelligence reports that analyze national distributed sales transaction data provided by 27 U.S. distributors. While manufacturers are not required to be GHX customers in order to qualify for or win the Best-in-Class awards, many of this year's award winners leverage GHX Market Intelligence to gain market share.  

The 2010 Best-in-Class market segment winners are as follows:

Five out of the six Best-in-Class market segment winners this year were also recipients of 2010 Best-in-Class product category awards, which recognize medical-surgical manufacturers in 35 different product categories. Best-in-Class product category status is determined through a combination of year-over-year market share growth and total market share through the end of 2009.

"The economic downturn has impacted where and how patients are receiving care and this, in turn, has affected spending on medical-surgical supplies across all market segments," said Ed McCauley, vice president, E-Sourcing and Business Intelligence, GHX. "In order to respond to this changing landscape, medical-surgical manufacturers need credible market data now more than ever. This year's Best-in-Class Awards recognize those manufacturers that had the foresight to gain visibility into their market segments in order to meet the industry's changing needs and achieve success despite the economic challenges."

GHX Market Intelligence tracks and reports on more than $35.5 billion of distributed sales for medical-surgical and clinical laboratory supplies and devices. It is the only comprehensive source for accurate, detailed and timely data for the acute and alternate site healthcare markets, containing geographically relevant and competitive market share, size and average selling price reporting down to the three-digit ZIP code level.

Healthcare suppliers use GHX Market Intelligence data and reports to gauge market size and share, guide product development, capitalize on new opportunities and stay one step ahead of the competition. Nine of the top 10 manufacturers utilizing distribution as a sales channel call upon GHX Market Intelligence to stay ahead of the competition.

About GHX

As the business hub for healthcare, Global Healthcare Exchange, LLC (GHX) enables healthcare providers and suppliers in North America and Europe to reduce costs and improve margins by automating processes, reducing operating expenses and increasing knowledge-based decision making.  Products and services include trading partner connectivity, order and contract management and validation, data synchronization, sales force automation and business intelligence. Equity owners of GHX are Abbott Exchange, Inc.; AmerisourceBergen Corp.; Baxter Healthcare Corp.; B. Braun Medical Inc.; BD; Boston Scientific Corp.; Cardinal Health, Inc.; Covidien; C.R. Bard, Inc.; Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.; GE Healthcare; HCA; Johnson & Johnson Health Care Systems Inc.; McKesson Corp.; Medtronic USA, Inc.; Owens & Minor; Premier, Inc.; Siemens; University HealthSystem Consortium; and VHA Inc.  For more information, visit www.ghx.com.

SOURCE GHX