St. Jude Medical to Supply Cardiac Systems for AmeriNet

St. Jude Medical, Inc. (St. Paul. MN) has signed a three-year contract with AmeriNet (St. Louis, MO) to offer various cardiac systems to AmeriNet member hospitals.

Under AmeriNet's Clinical Service Program for Cardiovascular Services, St. Jude Medical's Cardiac Rhythm Management Division will offer pacing and defibrillation systems to AmeriNet member hospitals that provide cardiac care. These institutions represent about one-third of all cardiac care facilities in the United States. The agreement was effective as of April 1.

AmeriNet's Clinical Service Program for Cardiovascular Services, announced in April, covers supplies, equipment, and pharmaceuticals used in the care of cardiovascular patients at member facilities. According to AmeriNet, potential purchasing volume for the program is estimated at about $2.5 billion a year.

The program provides contracts for seven hospital departments responsible for the majority of care for cardiac patients. They are emergency department, noninvasive testing, cardiac catheterization lab, operating room, intensive care unit, telemetry or step-down unit, and rehab unit. Within each department, according to AmeriNet, between two and five product areas will feature dual-source contracts negotiated through the program.

Currently, contracts have been signed with 15 vendors for 10 product areas in the operating room and cardiac cath lab. Besides St. Jude, the vendors include Cordis Corp., Guidant Corp., Trex Medical Corp., 3M, Baxter Cardiovascular Group, and Allegiance Corp.

Founded in 1986, AmeriNet represents 8,800 member organizations (326,000 beds) in 50 states. St. Jude Medical, Inc. develops, manufactures and distributes medical devices for the cardiovascular market.