3M Health Information Systems Division and Premier Inc. today announced a strategic agreement to market 3M's DRG Assurance consulting, assessment and documentation improvement services in conjunction with Premier's Perspective Online, the healthcare industry's most comprehensive and scalable comparative provider performance database. These product solutions for improving clinical performance will be offered to Premier's nationwide alliance of more than 1,500 hospitals and health systems, and to 3M's extensive U.S. customer base for its coding and classification software products.

By offering comprehensive patient-level data for care planning, quality measurement and physician profiling, along with education and processes designed to improve the accuracy of coded data, Premier and 3M will provide customers with actionable information that can be used to better manage resource consumption, reduce costs, ensure appropriate reimbursement and improve provider outcomes.

Healthcare providers, payers, regulatory agencies and consumers are demanding accurate and reliable data to measure and manage clinical performance," says Bruce Eklund, director, Services Market for 3M Health Information Systems. "The depth and breadth of Premier's comparative database, combined with 3M's recognized expertise in coding and classification, gives us the ability to bridge the language gap between physicians and coders. We can address the root causes of coding inaccuracies and offer our customers the most comprehensive clinical benchmarking and assessment program available today."

"The entire health care industry is looking for standardized measures of quality care, and this agreement supports hospitals' efforts to deliver high-quality care, while helping them secure appropriate reimbursement," comments Stephanie Alexander, senior vice president, Premier Healthcare Informatics. "Unifying around common language contributes to greater efficiencies that impact hospitals' clinical and financial performance."

Perspective Online from Premier is a Web-based clinical performance tool that provides hospitals and health systems with patient-level detail to identify opportunities for improvement in clinical quality and efficiency. Using Perspective Online, hospitals can identify specific drivers of clinical quality or cost variance, and compare performance against that of peer groups or specific institutions.

3M's DRG Assurance program is designed to improve concurrent inpatient record documentation through a comprehensive package of consulting, auditing and training services. 3M consultants help health care organizations implement a coordinated, systematic process of concurrent record review emphasizing enhanced communication between the physician, UR/QM staff and health information management professionals. The primary objective of DRG Assurance is to achieve better physician documentation for accurate patient classification by DRG to better reflect patient severity of illness indicators and risk of mortality variances, resource consumption, reimbursement accuracy, and patient conditions for care planning and outcome studies.

About Premier

Premier Inc, is a strategic alliance in U.S. health care, entirely owned by more than 200 of the nation's leading hospital and health care systems. These systems operate or are affiliated with more than 1,500 hospital facilities and hundreds of other care sites. Premier provides an array of resources supporting health services delivery, including group purchasing for more than $17 billion annually in supplies and equipment. Other resources offered by Premier are insurance programs and performance improvement services of many kinds. Premier is headquartered in San Diego, Calif., with other major facilities in Chicago, Ill., and Charlotte, N.C. Advocacy and policy offices are located in Washington, DC. For more information, visit www.premierinc.com.

About 3M Health Information Systems

3M Health Information Systems, based in Salt Lake City, Utah, is a leading provider of advanced software tools and services that help health care organizations capture, classify, and manage accurate health care data. Built on a foundation of more than 20 years of clinical, financial and administrative expertise, 3M Health Information Systems' products help ensure the quality of data, which drives an organization's ability to manage revenue, comply with regulations, improve quality of patient care and manage resources effectively. 3M Health Information Systems also supports customers with world-class technical service, coding expertise, and on-site and Web-based training. More information about 3M Health Information Systems is available at www.3Mhis.com, and by calling 1-800-367-2447.

About 3M

3M is a $16 billion diversified technology company with leading positions in consumer and office; display and graphics; electronics and telecommunications; health care; industrial; safety, security and protection services; transportation and other businesses. Headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota, the company has operations in more than 60 countries and serves customers in nearly 200 countries. 3M is one of the 30 stocks that make up the Dow Jones Industrial Average and also is a component of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index. For more information about 3M, go to www.3M.com/profile/pressbox/index.jhtml.

3M is a registered trademark of 3M.

Price Houns AssociatesMollie Houns, 952/920-6951mhouns@pricehouns.comorPremier Inc.Ken Inchausti, 704/733-5586Kenneth_inchausti@premierine.com