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Supply chain ‘hall of fame’ to induct 9
Bellwether League Inc. welcomes first group of leaders October 28

SCHAUMBURG, IL (October 8, 2008) – Bellwether League Inc., the Schaumburg, IL-based healthcare supply chain “hall of fame,” inducts its first group of industry pioneers in three weeks at its inaugural Honoree Induction Dinner in Chicago.

Nine supply chain innovators will be honored for their achievements and vision during a ceremony from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 28, at the Renaissance Chicago O’Hare Suites Hotel.

The nine honorees are the late Dean S. Ammer, Ph.D., Lee C. Boergadine, Gene D. Burton, Charles E. Housley, Thomas W. Kelly, William J. McFaul, Tom Pirelli, Donald J. Siegle and Alex J. Vallas. Each recipient’s bellwether profile can be found on Bellwether League Inc.’s Web site at www.bellwetherleague.org.

Ammer remains an acclaimed educator and author whose books on industrial engineering and economics continue to serve as supply chain industry barometers. Ammer’s wife Christine will accept the award on his behalf.

Boergadine built his reputation for practicing what he preached in Peoria and became best known for serving as a mentor and teacher to hundreds of supply chain management professionals, both as a hospital executive and later as a consultant through his popular continuing education and training seminars.

Burton is regarded as a developer and process pioneer who established centralized corporate contracting programs and shared service operations for a large investor-owned hospital chain and a not-for-profit health system, respectively, as well as for founding and leading the successful equipment planning and procurement consulting firm that bears his name.

Housley is revered as a leader and trailblazer in the 1970s and 1980s who championed supply chain management’s executive position and stature well before it was fashionable. He did this not only with words as a prominent and prolific author and speaker, but also with actions as he became one of the few hospital supply chain management professionals to become a hospital administrator/CEO.

Kelly is recognized for his groundbreaking achievements at one of the oldest and most venerable hospitals in the nation in the areas of interdepartmental relationships, workflow management and early use of information technology in supply chain management.

McFaul earned the spotlight as a maverick and motivator, starting in the hospital ranks before establishing his national reputation as a sought-after consultant specializing in non-salary expense reduction, cost management services and clinical value analysis and strategic resource management.

Pirelli is the innovator and visionary that pioneered the use of personal computer-based business systems in hospital supply chain management. The company he founded was the first to install a hospital-based local area network, as well as integrated bar-code scanners and touch screens for tracking hospital supplies, now an industry mainstay.

Siegle is regarded for his team-building philosophy in getting professionals and departments to collaborate and cooperate for more effective and efficient contract negotiations. Furthermore, the former steel industry procurement executive parlayed his skills to help found one of the largest national group purchasing organizations in the nation.

Vallas is recognized as a passionate advocate and crusader for supply chain management playing a significant role in an organization’s financial health and security, helping to usher in value analysis as a standard practice and pushing for professional certification.

Bellwether League Inc. also will recognize and highlight its 2008 founding sponsors, leading companies that represent the key segments within supply chain management – manufacturing, distribution, group purchasing and cost management services. They are Owens & Minor Inc., Hospira, Premier Purchasing Partners L.P., Kimberly-Clark Health Care and MedAssets.

Tickets for the event, which features a cocktail reception, dinner and awards presentation, remain available at $300 per person or $2,500 per table. For more information, visit Bellwether League Inc.’s Web site at www.bellwetherleague.org.

About Bellwether League Inc.

Launched in late July 2007 by a group of influential veterans in the healthcare supply chain industry, Bellwether League Inc. seeks to identify and honor individuals who have demonstrated significant leadership in and influence on and contributions to the healthcare supply chain, including professionals from hospitals, non-acute healthcare providers, manufacturers and distributors of healthcare products, group purchasing organizations, consulting firms and educational institutions.

Bellwether League Inc. plans to recognize its second group of honorees in April 2009 and honor them at a recognition dinner in Chicago next October, a schedule that will continue annually.

Bellwether League Inc. selects individuals that meet its criteria to be publicly recognized and recorded in print and online media for their contributions in advancing and improving all segments of the healthcare supply chain. The criteria include ethics, innovation, integrity, leadership, longevity, mentoring, reputation, speaking, teaching, writing and volunteering.

The Board of Directors of Bellwether League Inc. comprises a veteran group of industry advocates who have volunteered their time and expertise to create and continually develop the organization and its ongoing educational activities. The Board includes:

• Jamie C. Kowalski (co-founder and chairman), vice president of business development, Owens & Minor Inc., Milwaukee, WI
• Rick Dana Barlow (co-founder and executive director), president, Wingfoot Media Inc., Schaumburg, IL
• Robert P. “Bud” Bowen (secretary), retired CEO, Amerinet Inc., St. Charles, MO
• Patrick E. Carroll Jr. (treasurer), president, Patrick E. Carroll & Associates, Cypress, CA
• James F. Dickow, director of supply chain management, facilities and operations consulting, Lerch Bates Inc., Mequon, WI
• John B. Gaida, senior vice president of supply chain management, Texas Health Resources, Arlington, TX
• Laurence A. Dickson, retired corporate director of materials management, Sisters of Providence Health System, Seattle, WA
• Thomas W. Hughes, executive director, Strategic Marketplace Initiative, Scituate, MA
• Richard A. Perrin, president and CEO, AdvanTech Inc., Annapolis, MD
• Derwood B. Dunbar Jr., president and CEO, MAGNET Co-op, Mechanicsburg, PA