University HealthSystem Consortium Selects Great American Insurance Company to Provide Asset Management Services

OAK BROOK, Ill., March 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC) announced that it has awarded a 3-year agreement for equipment asset management to Great American Insurance Company, a member of Great American Insurance Group. Awarded through a competitive bid process, the agreement became effective on February 1, 2010.

Great American's Equipment Management Solutions (EMS) programs will enable UHC member hospitals to consolidate multiple equipment maintenance contracts and extended warranties into a single comprehensive multivendor service agreement. Great American EMS programs cover a wide variety of equipment types and provide vendors of choice, in-house labor reimbursement, and extensive management reports. With the Great American EMS programs, UHC members can continue to work with their existing service providers without interruption or opt to use other qualified providers, including their own in-house service technicians.

Additional benefits include:

• Reductions in annual equipment maintenance expenditures
• Reductions in contract administration time
• Customized programs to meet both immediate needs and long-term planning goals

"We are very pleased to offer our members these important services from a national leader in the field," said Cindy White, UHC vice president, Operations. "Great American Insurance Company reflects the values of UHC, as both organizations strive to provide high-quality products and services to assist hospitals nationwide."

Michael St. Hilaire, general manager for Great American's EMS programs, said, "We are very excited to be selected by UHC because our Managed Maintenance, Shared Savings and Aggregate Retention Programs were designed specifically to meet the long-term risk transfer needs of large health care organizations, such as UHC members."

About UHC

The University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC), formed in 1984, is an alliance of 107 academic medical centers and 232 of their affiliated hospitals, representing approximately 90% of the nation's nonprofit academic medical centers. UHC offers its members specific programs and services to improve clinical, operational, financial, and patient safety performance. The mission of UHC is to advance knowledge, foster collaboration, and promote change to help members succeed in their respective markets. For more information, visit www.uhc.edu.

About Great American Insurance Group

Great American Insurance Group's roots go back to 1872 with the founding of its flagship company, Great American Insurance Company. Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, the operations of Great American Insurance Group are engaged primarily in property and casualty insurance, focusing on specialty commercial products for businesses, and in the sale of traditional fixed, indexed, and variable annuities and a variety of supplemental insurance products. Great American Insurance Company has received an "A" (Excellent) or higher rating from the A.M. Best Company for over 100 years (most recent rating evaluation effective on March 27, 2009). The members of the Great American Insurance Group are subsidiaries of American Financial Group, Inc. ("AFG"), also based in Cincinnati, Ohio. AFG's common stock is listed and traded on the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol AFG.  For more information, visit www.GreatAmericanInsurance.com.

SOURCE University HealthSystem Consortium