SAN DIEGO, Nov. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- dj Orthopedics Inc. (NYSE: DJO), a designer, manufacturer and marketer of products and services for the orthopedic sports medicine market, today announced that it has been awarded a three-year, multi-source supply contract from Premier, Inc., through Premier's group purchasing organization, Premier Purchasing Partners, L.P. The Premier award is a new contract for dj Orthopedics and represents the Company's largest supply contract opportunity for orthopedic rehabilitation products in its history. The agreement includes a comprehensive offering of dj Orthopedics' products, including its DonJoy® rigid knee bracing products for ligament instabilities, osteoarthritis and braces used post-operatively, its ProCare® branded soft bracing goods and the Company's growing line of cold-therapy systems. The agreement commences December 1, 2003.
"We are making good progress with our growth initiatives and adding the Premier contract to our expanding portfolio of national accounts is an important component of our growth strategy," said Les Cross, dj Orthopedics' President and CEO. "Our success with national contracts continues to reflect the Company's broad line of high quality products and our focus on product innovation and customer service excellence, which collectively enable us to deliver best-in-value healthcare solutions, both regionally and nationally. We are proud of the success dj Orthopedics has achieved in this area, made possible by the strong efforts from our National Accounts team."
Premier Inc. is a strategic alliance in U.S. healthcare, entirely owned by 200 of the nation's leading hospital and healthcare systems. These systems operate or are affiliated with nearly 1,500 hospital facilities in 50 states and hundreds of other healthcare provider sites. Premier provides an array of resources supporting health services delivery in the key areas of supply chain improvement and group purchasing, comparative data and benchmarking, and insurance. Premier's members purchase more than $17 billion annually in medical supplies and equipment.
About dj Orthopedics
dj Orthopedics is a global orthopedic sports medicine company specializing in the design, manufacture and marketing of products and services that repair, regenerate and rehabilitate soft tissue and bone, help protect against injury and treat osteoarthritis of the knee. Its broad range of over 600 existing products, many of which are based on proprietary technologies, includes rigid knee braces, soft goods, specialty and other complementary orthopedic products. These products provide solutions for patients and orthopedic sports medicine professionals throughout the patient's continuum of care.
SOURCE dj Orthopedics, Inc.
-0- 11/18/2003
(DJO)
CO: dj Orthopedics, Inc.; Premier, Inc.; Premier Purchasing Partners, L.P.
ST: California
IN: BIO HEA MTC SPT SPM
SU: CON
MV
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1986 11/18/2003 07:05 EST http://www.prnewswire.com
Company Investor/Media Contact:
DJO Incorporated
Mark Francois
Director of Corporate Communications & Investor Relations
760-734-4766
