Health Industry Today articles from December 1998

Health Industry Today archives from December 1998

Bloodless surgery growing as patients demand alternatives.
December 1, 1998... by John Dalton Markets are driven by demand, turning what was formerly the offbeat toward the mainstream. That's the current status of bloodless surgery, where treatments developed in the 1970s for a very small segment of the surgical...

Medtronic, Sofamor merger to transform company in major way.
December 1, 1998... In a move calculated to propel Medtronic, Inc., Minneapolis, Minn., to global standing in advanced medical technologies for the treatment of neurological and spinal disorders, the company has announced a merger agreement with Sofamor...

Industry news: Change creates new business opportunities.
December 1, 1998... By Donald E. L. Johnson, Editor & Publisher Suppliers of medical and surgical supplies and devices will see some major new business opportunities in 1999 as a result of institutional, technological and reimbursement changes in health care....

product strategies.
December 1, 1998... Owens & Minor scores big with $2 billion Tenet supply deal Fighting back smartly at the close of a frustrating year, Owens & Minor Inc. closed an eight-year sole-source agreement with the big hospital chain Tenet Healthcare Corp. That...

G.E.M.S. acquires Marquette Medical, boosting its cardiac sector presence.
December 1, 1998... Already a power in the medical equipment side of the industry, General Electric Medical Systems got even stronger this fall with its acquisition of another Milwaukee-based manufacturer, Marquette Medical Systems Inc., in a merger deal....

As offers dry up, Circon's Auhll resigns as company head.(Brief Article)
December 1, 1998... In the wake of Circon Corp.'s failure to attract an acceptable acquisition offer, Richard Auhll resigned Oct. 21 as chairman and CEO of this Santa Barbara, Calif.-based surgical product manufacturer. Circon and United States Surgical Corp....

K-C takes cool approach to its newest operating room apparel.
December 1, 1998... Operating room nurses have long complained that the surgical gowns they wear for literally hours at a time in a hot O.R. suite have left them uncomfortable and, in some cases vulnerable to infection. Now, Kimberly-Clark has introduced a...

Enable Medical introduces second generation bipolar scissors.
December 1, 1998... Baseball's spring training has been called a romance period - the losers haven't been identified, hope springs eternal, and if there are hairline cracks or structural faults no one has seen them. There is a similar period in product...

Around the industry: Internet means headache for medical device servicing company.
December 1, 1998... An electronic message board sponsored by YAHOO!, a popular search engine, has attracted a series of more than 900 messages since August. The subject? The qualifications and intentions of the new management team at COHR Inc., Chatsworth,...

New purchasing goals unveiled Novation vows to work closely with suppliers.
December 1, 1998... Sole source or dual source? New Novation president and chief executive officer James Hersma said the newly created, Irving, Texas-based group purchasing organization hasn't made up its mind yet. "We're developing our philosophy," Hersma...

dealing with hcfa Strategy integration key to marketing success.
December 1, 1998... by Michael M. Gaba, Esq. As competition for the American health care dollar continues to intensify, medical device companies can no longer rely solely on Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval as a guarantee to their marketing...

idn sales strategies How common denominators permeate successful strategies for suppliers.
December 1, 1998... by Patrick Michael Plummer As integrated delivery networks (IDNs) continue reaching new levels of importance in suppliers' overall corporate sales strategy, understanding the true needs of this new breed of corporate account can mean the...

Worth Reading: Hospitals consider abandoning home health care.
December 1, 1998... After more than 20 years of prosperity, the home health care business is now facing a financial crunch and many hospitals are wondering whether it is a business they should abandon, according to an article in the December 1998 issue of...

It's Show Time Show biz ...
December 1, 1998... Editor's Note: If a trade show or expo you are or were involved with increased (or decreased) the number of participants, exhibitors or floor space, let HIT know. We're also interested in your reactions to today's trade shows. Contact John...

Trade Show Calendar.
December 1, 1998... Trading places... Here's Health Industry Today's listing of key health care trade shows for the coming months. To add one, contact Curt Werner at 303-967-0138, fax 303-290-9025, or e-mail to HIT@businessword.com Dates Meeting Location...

price & production report.
December 1, 1998... Producer Price Index rises 0.3% Analysis: In October, the unadjusted finished goods component of the Producer Price Index was 131.4, 0.6% higher than in September. It has declined 0.7% since October 1997, when it was 132.3. For the...

Purchasing Managers: More slowing in nation's manufacturing sector.
December 1, 1998... Growth in the nation's manufacturing sector continued its lethargic pace in October, according to the latest report from the National Assn. of Purchasing Management. The October result was the fifth consecutive month of decline after a...

newsmakers.
December 1, 1998... Health Industry Today provides Job Mart listings free of charge to HIT subscribers, provided those subscribers assume full responsibility for handling their own letters of inquiry. Please send notices of executive, manufacturer,...

SPECIAL: 97-1998 Index Issue.
December 1, 1998... Around the Industry Abbott Labs to acquire French manufacturer. Mar 97:15. Abbott signs clinical chemistry alliance with Toshiba. Sept 97:13. Abbott signs co-marketing pact with Baxa Corp. Oct 98:15. Abbott signs marketing pact with...