Health Industry Today articles from October 1994

Health Industry Today archives from October 1994

MRI system makers develop smaller units that contain costs. (magnetic resonance imaging)
October 1, 1994... Magnetic resonance imaging vendors are facing an enormously difficult challenge of trying to sell 400 units this year, even though that is scaled back from the estimated 838 systems shipped in 1993. The market is virtually saturated, leaving few...

Johnson & Johnson ups position in diagnostic market with Kodak unit. (Eastman Kodak Co.)
October 1, 1994... Johnson & Johnson's acquisition of Eastman Kodak Co.'s clinical diagnostics unit adds to its existing cadre of field sales people a team of highly experienced sales reps with a track record of successfully selling testing instrumentation. Johnson...

AME builds position in spine fixation market. (American Medical Electronics Inc. acquires Advanced Spine Fixation Systems Inc.)
October 1, 1994... In a move to expand its position in the spinal fixation market and diversify its revenue, base, Dallas-based American Medical Electronics Inc., in August, agreed to acquire Advanced Spine Fixation Systems Inc. AME manufactures and distributes...

Advanced Surgical acquires Laparomed, expands laparoscopic product line. (Advanced Surgical Inc.; Laparomed Corp.)
October 1, 1994... In a move that signals the medical device industry is consolidating along with the provider side, Advanced Surgical Inc. is advancing its position in the laparoscopic market with the acquisition of Laparomed Corp., which is valued at $7.1...

Chase invests $5 million in Computer Motion's robotic laparoscope positioner. (Chase Manhattan Corp.; Computer Motion Inc.)
October 1, 1994... Because Chase Manhattan Corp. executives believe Goleta, Calif.-based Computer Motion Inc. is the "most advanced company developing robotics for the medical industry," the financial institution made a $5 million equity investment in the company...

Steris adds fluid collection, disposal system by buying start-up company. (Steris Corp.; Medical and Environmental Designs Inc.)
October 1, 1994... After it saw a market opportunity similar to its own, Steris Corp. acquired a company in the early stages of development so it could incorporate that company's technology, which complements its own. Steris manufactures and markets sterile...

St. Jude Medical invests $12 million to build cardiovascular offerings. (St. Jude Medical Inc.; EndoVascular Technologies Inc.)
October 1, 1994... St. Jude Medical Inc., St. Paul, Minn., invested $12 million in EndoVascular Technologies Inc., Menlo Park, Calif., to help the company establish a third technology platform line of cardiovascular care products. EndoVascular Technologies, a...

Cardiotronic Systems buys R2 Medical to add more cardiac electrodes. (Cardiotronic Systems Inc.; R2 Medical Systems Inc.)
October 1, 1994... Cardiotronic Systems Inc., Carlsbad, Calif., anticipates becoming the largest independent producer of cardiac stimulation electrodes with the acquisition of R2 Medical Systems Inc., Niles, Ill. Both companies manufacture and market disposable...

Boston Scientific expects to accelerate vascular ultrasound imaging technology. (Boston Scientific Corp. acquires Cardiovascular Imaging Systems Inc.)
October 1, 1994... Boston Scientific Corp. will invest $100 million to develop its ultrasound technology with the purchase of Cardiovascular Imaging Systems Inc. The companies agreed in September to merge so they could accelerate their development of ultrasound...

Huntleigh buys British company, expands bedding line, changes name. (Huntleigh Healthcare; Nesbit Evans)
October 1, 1994... Huntleigh Healthcare changed its name on Sept. 1 after its parent company acquired a British medical equipment manufacturer. Huntleigh Technology Inc., a British medical products manufacturer that trades internationally, acquired Nesbit Evans and...

Surgical Health contract heightens McGaw's presence in alternate sites. (Surgical Health Corp.; McGaw Inc.)
October 1, 1994... lrvine, Calif.-based McGaw Inc. increased its presence in the alternate site market by negotiating a contract with Atlanta-based Surgical Health Corp., the third-largest network of outpatient surgery centers in the nation. The three-year...

General Medical signs two Optima prime supplier agreements this summer. (General Medical Corp.; materials services program)
October 1, 1994... General Medical Corp., Richmond, Va., signed two primary supplier agreements this summer that feature the distributor's Optima materials services program. The agreements are valued at more than $100 million. Fort Worth, Texas-based Harris...

Infusion Technology pursues home care market through Medical Specialties. (Infusion Technology Inc.'s private label distribution contract with Medical Specialties Group Inc.)
October 1, 1994... To access the growing home health care market, Infusion Technology Inc., Danvers, Mass., signed a private label distribution agreement in August with Medical Specialties Group Inc., South Easton, Mass. The agreement provides the home infusion...

MEDIQ buys KCI rental division to expand market share. (MEDIQ Inc.; KCI Medical Services Inc.)
October 1, 1994... MEDIQ Inc., Pennsauken, N.J., is acquiring KCI Medical Services Inc., the medical equipment rental division of San Antonio, Texas-based Kinetic Concepts Inc., which will enable MEDIQ to expand its market share in servicing acute care hospitals...

Kimberly-Clark works to change AORN practices to accomodate sterile wrap. (American Operating Room Nurses)
October 1, 1994... Kimberly-Clark, Roswell, Ga., is promoting the labor-saving benefits of its recently released disposable sterile wrap. The wrap features two thermally sealed sheets that cut the time of wrapping or opening sterile packages because one bonded...

Coherent introduces dual wavelength laser, targets urology market. (Coherent Medical Group's VersaPulse Select)
October 1, 1994... Coherent Medical Group is entering the urology market with its first surgical laser to feature a dual wavelength. The holmium laser is marketed primarily to the orthopedic market, and its dual wavelength also makes the laser suitable for...

Back injury prompts development of patient lift, company. (Ray Manufacturing's Ray's Up Patient Lift)
October 1, 1994... After he suffered a severe back injury, Donald Ray developed a patient lifting device he expects will replace the gurney. Ray, formerly a roofing contractor, fell off a roof and discovered the need for patient lifting equipment that is not...

National account reps must gird for larger stakes, tough terms for system-wide sales.
October 1, 1994... There certainly have been better times for the usually unflappable corps of medical-surgical and capital equipment sales reps. Many are confused about the role they will play in the emerging health care industry. They don't yet understand how...

Premier offers five select national contract agreements, seeks 100% compliance. (Premier Health Alliance)
October 1, 1994... Many vendors are welcoming a recent effort by a leading group purchasing alliance designed to promote contract compliance. The initiative is contained in a plan announced at an August business partner meeting in Chicago, held by Westchester,...

GPO implements implant standardization program. (group purchasing organization; Premier Health Alliance)
October 1, 1994... Premier Health Alliance, Westchester, Ill., signed its first orthopedic implant program, shaking up the market in a bold move by picking five smaller vendors as a team. The alliance departed from its usual stance of signing sole-source agreements...

Suppliers try to survive dysfunctional system by sharing financial risk of their products.
October 1, 1994... In an attempt to treat a dysfunctional medical product purchasing system, suppliers are restructuring their relationships with health care providers to share the financial risk of delivering care. Manufacturers and distributors are toying with...

Capitation pushes suppliers to collect data, develop systems to answer growing interest.
October 1, 1994... While capitation may be considered the "cocaine of the health care industry," it's hard to say if any medical product suppliers truly are offering such intoxicating purchase agreements. Once suppliers supply providers with capitated agreements,...

When searching for compelling images, don't stretch too far to conjure the right message.
October 1, 1994... Simile: A figure of speech that compares two unlike things, as in "cheeks like roses." Metaphor: A figure of speech in which a word or phrase that literally denotes one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness...

Blood bank markets expect to grow at 3% rate, driven by disease fears, led by plasma products.
October 1, 1994... The worldwide blood bank products market will grow from $5.3 billion in 1993 at a 3% compound annual rate, according to a study published by Frost & Sullivan Inc., Mountain View, Calif. The share of total market revenue going into plasma...

Abiomed Inc. (new finance and administration VP John Thero)
October 1, 1994... Abiomed Inc., Danvers, Mass., appointed John Thero vice president, finance and administration. Thero had been chief financial officer at Aries Technology Inc. Abiomed promoted Bruce Shook to president of Abiomed Cardiovascular Inc. Shook...

Cordis Corp. (new director Wilton Webster)
October 1, 1994... Miami-based Cordis Corp. appointed Wilton Webster to its board of directors. Webster, the founder and former chairman of Webster Laboratories Inc., joined Cordis as vice president and senior scientific advisor in April, following the company's...

Derma Sciences Inc. (new product manager June Dutka)
October 1, 1994... Derma Sciences Inc., Old Forge, Penn., named June Dutka product manager. Dutka has been with Derma Sciences since 1985 and has held several positions within the sales and marketing department, including director of customer service and internal...

Eastman Kodak Co. (election of three new vice presidents, Carl Gustin, Ronald Morrison and Anthony Fedor)
October 1, 1994... The board of directors of Eastman Kodak Co., Rochester, N.Y., elected three vice presidents this summer. Carl Gustin joined the company in August as general manager of Kodak's new Digital and Applied Imaging organization and was elected a...

Healthcare Convention & Exhibition Assn. (election of 1994-1995 officers and directors)
October 1, 1994... The Healthcare Convention & Exhibitors Assn. elected its 1994-1995 officers and directors at its annual meeting. Clare Sullivan of Abbott Laboratories was elected president. Marianne Yeager of SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals is...

MedChem Products Inc. (appointment of new senior management team)
October 1, 1994... MedChem Products Inc., Woburn, Mass., appointed a new senior management team this summer. Bradford Gay, Richard Mink and Charles Putnam were named executive vice presidents. John McDonough was named vice president of finance. Gay is...

Vision-Sciences Inc. (appointment of Robert LaRoche as marketing VP)
October 1, 1994... Robert LaRoche joined Vision-Sciences Inc., Natick, Mass., as vice president of marketing. Before joining Vision-Sciences, LaRoche was marketing manager with C.R. Bard Inc.'s interventional products division. From 1982 to 1985, LaRoche was with...