MedAssets Supply Chain Systems announced today that all MedAssets group purchasing customers now have access to the Executive Services Program made available through the acquisition of Shared Services Healthcare. In February 2006, MedAssets Supply Chain Systems acquired Shared Services Healthcare, a regional group purchasing organization based in Atlanta.

According to Business Wire, the Executive Services contract portfolio assists healthcare executives in controlling administrative expenses and identifying high quality business partners to provide needed professional services. Previously available only to Shared Services Healthcare member facilities in the southeastern United States, the Executive Services Program is now available to MedAssets Supply Chain Systems' customers nationwide. The program is comprised of six key areas of focus:

-- Consulting- services addressing such items as JCAHO preparation, labor and productivity, supply chain management, service line reviews, facility analysis and leadership development

-- Employment and human resources- services supporting employee recruitment, development and retention efforts

-- Insurance- solutions for all risk financing needs

-- Information technology/niche software- offerings to assist in gaining operational efficiencies and data compliance

-- Outsourcing- solutions to enable increased focus on core competencies

-- Revenue cycle management- services and technology to address revenue challenges across the healthcare continuum

Erlanger Health System in Chattanooga, Tenn., is utilizing the program for multiple professional services.

"Two key MedAssets Executive Services Program contracts that we have found to be beneficial are the patient statement outsourcing contract and the chargemaster maintenance tool, BPI.Net," said J. Britton Tabor, chief financial officer, Erlanger Health System. "Through the utilization of a preferred partner for the outsourcing of patient statements, we are confident that this is the fastest and most efficient way for us to process our statements, and we are confident that we have a 'patient friendly' bill. With the chargemaster tool, BPI.Net, we have additional assurances that our chargemaster is up-to-date on the most current billing guidelines."

"The MedAssets Executive Services Program is a progressive and dynamic portfolio of services designed to favorably impact the operations and service quality of our customers' facilities," stated Sandra Green, president, Southeastern Region, MedAssets Supply Chain Systems. "The product and service selection process is customer driven and results in a menu of offerings in the contract portfolio that meets the specific needs of all of our customers."

The Executive Services Program offers products and services not only for acute care facilities and multi-hospital systems, but also alternate care facilities such as long term care provider, PineCare Services.

"Through MedAssets Executive Services Program, our facility found DocAssure, a hipaa security compliance software provider," stated Ben Harvill, chief financial officer, PineCare Services. "By chronicling our entire system in one concise software program, I can now confidently say our data and medical records are safe and secure."