CHARLOTTE, NC – Premier Purchasing Partners, LP, today announced a new agreement for purchasing cards and electronic payables has been awarded to PNC Bank National Association of Lutherville, Md.

Effective November 1, 2009, the agreement is available to acute care and continuum of care members of the Premier healthcare alliance.

About Premier Inc.
The Premier healthcare alliance is more than 2,300 U.S. hospitals and 64,000-plus other healthcare sites working together to improve healthcare quality and affordability. Owned by not-for-profit hospitals, Premier maintains the nation's most comprehensive repository of clinical, financial and outcomes information and operates a leading healthcare purchasing network.

A world leader in helping deliver measurable improvements in care, Premier works with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the United Kingdom's National Health Service North West to improve hospital performance.