Press Release for Premier, Inc

							     Press Release for WakeMed Health and Hospitals
                              September 20, 2006

WakeMed Health and Hospitals in Raleigh and Cary has been selected to
receive the North Carolina Awards for Excellence (NCAfE) Commitment Level
Award.

NCAfE is a program within the Industrial Extension Service at NC State
University, which assesses organizations to the Baldrige Criteria for Performance
Excellence. The Commitment Award is given to organizations that have
demonstrated, through commitment and practice of performance management
principles, progress in building sound and notable processes, as well as, a solid
approach to system-level performance management, implementing plans and
procedures.

WakeMed Health and Hospitals, one of the first hospital systems in the country is
a private, not-for-profit health care organization based in Raleigh, N.C. The
system comprises a network of health care facilities throughout Wake and
Johnston counties, including: a 528 bed tertiary referral hospital and a 68-bed
rehabilitation hospital in Raleigh, a 114-bed community hospital in Cary, a
comprehensive outpatient center and freestanding emergency department in
North Raleigh, seven outpatient rehabilitation sites, two skilled nursing and
outpatient facilities, a 90-physician multi-specialty practice and home health
services. WakeMed’s team of 7000 nurses, technologists, and medical support
staff and more than 1000 affiliated physicians serve the residents of North
Carolina using the most advanced technologies and facilities to ensure the finest
in health care. For more information, visit www.wakemed.org.

WakeMed Health and Hospitals will be recognized at the NC Conference for
Excellence on October 31st, 2006.

The Industrial Extension Service is the statewide arm of NC State University that
partners with business and industry to transfer knowledge and technology. Since
2000, IES services have generated more than half a billion dollars of positive
economic impact for North Carolina, as reported by the organizations served.
Created in 1955 within the NCSU College of Engineering by an act of the
General Assembly, IES is the oldest service of its kind in the nation. For more
information, go to www.ies.ncsu.edu