A Medical Device Daily

Kinetic Concepts (KCI; San Antonio, Texas) reported an exclusive partnership with Carroll Hospital Group (London, Ontario) designed to improve the overall safety of patients.

The partnership combines Carroll Hospital Group's newest medical-surgical bed, Spirit Select, with KCI's broad mattress replacement portfolio, which includes multiple products that provide superior skin management for pressure ulcers. This combination provides hospitals with the flexibility they need to safely manage, handle and transport patients, increase patient mobility and, most importantly, reduce "never events" such as hospital-acquired pressure ulcers and patient falls. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services stopped reimbursing treatments for these types of events in October 2008.

Now KCI therapies, such as the AtmosAir 9000 system, designed with self-adjusting pressure technology, can be combined with the flexible Spirit Select bed.

Documented facility case studies have shown that AtmosAir surfaces help prevent patients from developing pressure ulcers. AtmosAir surfaces are one product in KCI's portfolio of therapeutic support systems designed to prevent Stage I and II pressure ulcers. These systems use a variety of technologies, including air, foam, silicon beads and viscous fluids plus GORE medical fabric for advanced management of the skin microclimate.

In other agreements and contracts news, Premier Purchasing Partners (San Diego) reported new agreements for construction services have been awarded to McCarthy Building Companies (Saint Louis) and Heery International (Atlanta). Effective May 1, 2009, the 36-month agreements are available to acute care and continuum of care members of the Premier healthcare alliance.