Harborside Healthcare Selects Sten+Barr Medical, Inc. as Therapeutic Support Surface and Bariatric Equipment Vendor

(Tampa, FL, November 6, 2006) – Sten+Barr Medical, Inc.  was awarded a three-year equipment provider agreement with Harborside Healthcare, who manages 77 skilled nursing facilities throughout the U.S.  Under the terms of the agreement, effective June 1^st, 2006, Sten+Barr will be the primary provider of therapeutic support surfaces, specialty beds and bariatric equipment to all facilities managed by Harborside Healthcare.    

            “After using multiple vendors for specialty beds and mattresses in the past, we decided to consolidate to Sten+Barr because of their commitment to customer service and utilization management,” stated William Covitz, Director of Purchasing at Harborside Healthcare.  “I feel this is a significant step towards maintaining and improving quality of care to our residents, while achieving standardization and efficiency in our operations.”

            “We appreciate the trust that Harborside Healthcare has placed with us in awarding this primary vendor agreement,” said Michael Cole, Sten+Barr’s president.  “Our efforts to date with Harborside demonstrate how clinical and economic outcomes can be improved when a health care provider and equipment service provider work closely together.  We look forward to further positive progress with the new agreement.”

ABOUT HARBORSIDE HEALTHCARE

Harborside operates 77 skilled nursing facilities and employs more than 8,000 full and part-time employees in eight states in New England, the Mid-Atlantic and the Midwest. Nearly 9,300 individuals receive care at its facilities in Connecticut, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio and Rhode Island. The company was founded in 1987.  

ABOUT STEN+BARR MEDICAL, INC.

            Sten+Barr Medical, Inc. delivers wound care, bariatric care and patient safety solutions to healthcare facilities nationwide via 70 service centers.  The company serves skilled nursing homes, rehabilitation hospitals, long-term acute care hospitals, hospice care, acute care hospitals and home care patients. Sten+Barr’s product lines include therapeutic mattresses for wound care, bariatric equipment for care of obese patients and specialty beds and equipment for patient safety.   In addition to providing just-in-time equipment rental programs, Sten+Barr also supplies clinical expertise and procurement flexibility to deliver cost efficient, clinically effective patient outcomes.  Sten+Barr is nationally headquartered in Tampa, Florida.  For more information, log on to www.stenbarr.com.

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