| CONTACTS: |
César García,
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer |
|
818-709-1244
|
|
-or-
|
|
Ron Stabiner, The Wall Street Group, Inc. |
|
212-888-4848 |
CHATSWORTH, CA, June 16, 2008 - Iris Diagnostics, a division of IRIS INTERNATIONAL, INC. (NASDAQ: IRIS),
a leading manufacturer of automated in-vitro diagnostics systems and consumables for use in hospitals and commercial laboratories worldwide, today announced that it is a winner of a
Premier Performance Award, presented by the Premier healthcare alliance's Purchasing Partners unit.
Iris Diagnostics is one of 54 of more than 800 Premier contracted suppliers to receive the Performance Award, which recognizes the efforts of
contracted suppliers to meet or exceed Premier members' service expectations.
"We thank Premier for this award as it represents our commitment to providing excellent service to our customers," stated Thomas Warekois,
President of Iris Diagnostics. "We are very proud of our part in helping Premier members improve the quality of care they deliver, through our flagship automated urinalysis
systems."
The Premier Performance Award was presented to Iris Diagnostics at the 2008 Premier Annual Breakthroughs Conference & Exhibition in Nashville,
Tenn. on Wednesday, June 11, 2008.
"Premier's Performance Award honors top performing suppliers that understand the importance of collaboration and striving for performance
excellence," said Premier Purchasing Partners President Mike Alkire. "We're happy to recognize these companies as we work together to improve the healthcare of our
communities."
In selecting recipients, satisfaction and performance data are collected and scored over four successive calendar quarters. Feedback is provided
during regular supplier business line reviews. Organizations scoring 80 percent or higher earn the Performance Award. For more information, please visit: www.premierinc.com/about/news/awards/index.jsp.
About Premier Inc., 2006 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award recipient
Serving more than 2,000 U.S. hospitals and 50,000 other healthcare sites, the Premier healthcare alliance and its members are transforming healthcare together. Owned by
not-for-profit hospitals, Premier operates one of the leading healthcare purchasing networks and the nation's most comprehensive repository of hospital clinical and financial
information. A subsidiary operates one of the nation's largest policy-holder owned, hospital professional liability risk-retention groups. A world leader in helping healthcare
providers deliver dramatic improvements in care, Premier is working with the United Kingdom's National Health Service North West and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services to improve hospital performance. Headquartered in San Diego, Premier has offices in Charlotte, N.C., Philadelphia and Washington. For more information, visit www.premierinc.com.
ABOUT IRIS INTERNATIONAL, INC.
IRIS International a leading global in vitro diagnostics company focused on products that analyze particles and living cell forms and structures, or morphology of a variety of body fluids. Our products
leverage our strengths in flow imaging technology, particle recognition and automation to bring efficiency to hospital and commercial laboratories. The initial applications for our
technology have been in the urinalysis market and we are the leading worldwide provider of urine microscopy systems, with an installed based of over 1,800 systems in over 50
countries.
SAFE HARBOR PROVISION
This press release contains forward-looking statements made in reliance upon the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking
statements include, but are not limited to, the Company's views on future financial performance, market growth, capital requirements, regulatory developments, new product
introductions and acquisitions, and are generally identified by phrases such as "thinks," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates,"
"expects," "intends," "plans," and similar words. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are inherently subject to
uncertainties and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statement. These statements are based upon, among other things,
assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management, including management's own knowledge and assessment of the Company's industry, R&D initiatives,
competition and capital requirements. Other factors and uncertainties that could affect the Company's forward-looking statements include, among other things, the following:
identification of feasible new product initiatives, management of R&D efforts and the resulting successful development of new products and product platforms; obtaining
regulatory approvals for new and enhanced products; acceptance by customers of the Company's products; integration of acquired businesses; substantial expansion of international
sales; reliance on key suppliers; the potential need for changes in long-term strategy in response to future developments; future advances in diagnostic testing methods and
procedures; potential changes in government regulations and healthcare policies, both of which could adversely affect the economics of the diagnostic testing procedures automated
by the Company's products; rapid technological change in the microelectronics and software industries; and competitive factors, including pricing pressures and the introduction
by others of new products with similar or better functionality than our products. These and other risks are more fully described in the Company's filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission, including the Company's most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, which should be read in conjunction herewith for
a further discussion of important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to
publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
