Premier's corporate headquarters relocated in North Carolina

The Premier Inc. healthcare alliance today announced that it has relocated its corporate headquarters to Charlotte, N.C. Premier also has offices in San Diego, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

In line with the relocation, Premier will add 300 jobs in the area over the next five years.

“North Carolina prides itself on being a state that promotes innovation and originality,” North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue said. “Premier’s pioneering approach to healthcare shows that we have created a business climate in which innovative companies can prosper and grow.”

“Healthcare is an industry that is vital to our growing economy,” said Bob Morgan, president and CEO of the Charlotte Chamber. “We are pleased to welcome Premier’s corporate headquarters to Charlotte.”

Premier is an alliance of more than 2,200 U.S. not-for-profit hospitals and 63,000-plus other healthcare sites working to improve healthcare quality and affordability. Alliance member hospitals share evidence-based best practices and clinical data, as well as leverage hospital supply buying volume to improve healthcare quality while reducing associated costs. Premier and its members are directly involved in shaping healthcare legislation as a part of current reform proposals.

Premier predecessor SunHealth was established in Charlotte in 1969 by the North and South Carolina Hospital Associations with assistance from The Duke Endowment. The current Premier healthcare alliance was created in 1996. It currently employs more than 750 of its 1,200 employees in Charlotte, along with all of its major operations.

“Healthcare is large and growing as an economic force here in Charlotte,” said Michael C. Tarwater, chief executive officer of the Carolinas HealthCare System, Charlotte’s largest employer and a Premier alliance owner and member. “Premier is a key partner in this growth, and their presence here is a great feather in the cap of our entire region. Together, we are pioneering quality improvements in Charlotte that will lead to positive change for the people we serve, not only here but for those served by Premier alliance members across the country.”

According to Susan DeVore, Premier president and CEO, “Considering our existing presence and past history in the area, it is a natural fit for Premier to be headquartered in Charlotte. We’re excited and proud to be truly a Charlotte-based organization.”

After a 21-month evaluation of all existing and build-to-suit options in the greater Charlotte area that could meet space requirements, Premier decided to take a 15-year lease on space in the Boyle Building in the Ballantyne Corporate Park. Located in south Charlotte, Premier will occupy the entire building – 262,500 square feet – beginning February 2011.

Premier’s national, local influence

Owned exclusively by not-for-profit hospitals and healthcare systems nationwide, ranging from small, rural to large, inner-city facilities, Premier manages the nation’s largest clinical and operational comparative database. It is one of the country’s largest hospital group purchasing organizations with members utilizing Premier to purchase more than $33.5 billion annually in supplies, ranging from syringes to large-scale imaging equipment.

“What these quality and cost improvements mean are healthier communities through shorter stays in the hospital, fewer hospital readmissions and investments in state-of-the-art technologies and products,” DeVore said.

Approximately 90 North Carolina-based hospitals are members of the alliance, including Charlotte-area providers Carolinas HealthCare System and Gaston Memorial Hospital, part of CaroMont Health. Through the alliance, these North Carolina-based hospitals have saved more than $164 million since 2004 – savings that are reinvested to improve the health of communities.

In addition, 19 North Carolina-based hospitals have been awarded nearly $3 million for improving patient care while participating in a federally-funded quality performance program run by Premier and Medicare.

http://www.premierinc.com/