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NATIONAL HEALTH COUNCIL JOINS CONSORTA'S ADVANTAGE PROGRAM; MEMBERS TO SAVE SIGNIFICANT DOLLARS ON PURCHASES

Schaumburg, Ill., January 31, 2007 - Consorta, a leading healthcare resource management and group purchasing organization has added the National Health Council to its growing roster of Advantage Program members. The Advantage Program leverages $5.2 billion in combined purchase volume to provide discounts on the supplies and services most commonly used by these members. Consorta developed the Advantage Program to support the non-acute care market, which is one of the fastest growing segments of Consorta membership.

As part of the Advantage Program, members of the Council will be able to substantially reduce their purchase costs of brand-name products and services by using Consorta negotiated contracts. The National Health Council joined Consorta through the National Human Services Assembly, an association of non-profits in the field of health and human services.

"We are honored that the Council has joined Consorta's Advantage Program," said John W. Strong, president and CEO of Consorta. "We are confident that the savings that members will receive through this program will enable these worthwhile voluntary health and non-profit organizations to reduce everyday operational expenses, which will enable them to devote more resources toward their core missions and better serve their constituents."

"We are very pleased to offer this new benefit to our patient groups and other non-profit member organizations," said Myrl Weinberg, president, National Health Council. "In our sector, every penny counts, and we look forward to helping our members enjoy significant savings with the Consorta program."

The Council joins new members such as the American Red Cross and Americas Blood Centers, America's Promise, Camp Fire USA, Catholic Charities USA, Girls Incorporated, Lutheran Services in America, the Salvation Army, Save the Children, United Way of America, YMCA, and Volunteers of America as members of the Advantage Program.

"Consorta has long been a supporter of our nation's non-profit organizations," said Strong. "We developed the Advantage Program with them in mind so they could take advantage of the same savings as our shareholders and members."

About Consorta, Inc.
Consorta, based in suburban Chicago, is a leading healthcare resource management and group purchasing organization whose shareholders are faith-based or non-profit health systems. Consorta's 12 shareholder healthcare systems are among the leading integrators of non-profit healthcare in America. Consorta's membership now encompasses more than 3,280 care sites, including more than 530 acute care and over 250 extended care facilities throughout the country. Through its Advantage Program, Consorta provides contract purchasing power for some of the nation's leading non-profit organizations. For more information, visit www.consorta.com.

About the National Health Council
The National Health Council is a private, nonprofit umbrella organization of more than 100 national health-related organizations working to bring quality health care to all people. Its core membership includes 50 of the nation's leading patient groups representing about 100 million people with chronic diseases and/or disabilities. Other Council members include professional and membership associations, nonprofit organizations with an interest in health, and major pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. The Council serves as a place for diverse health-related groups to build consensus with a focus on patients and their needs. www.nationalhealthcouncil.org.

About the National Human Services Assembly
The National Human Services Assembly is an 84-year old learning community where national nonprofit leaders with parallel responsibilities share knowledge and expertise. It provides for collaboration among its members at the executive level around many topics important to the human services sector. In 2002, these same members asked the Assembly to forge savings opportunities, based on the sum of the whole, which would allow for greater discounts than those which individual members could achieve on their own. The National Assembly's Business Partners Program was created for this purpose - to leverage pricing discounts that are deeper and broader than any individual nonprofit, no matter how large, could negotiate on their own. Today hundreds of national suppliers and other National Assembly business partners allow member access to pricing - based on very large volume - that does not exist for all but Fortune 100 companies. http://www.nassembly.org/nassembly

Press Contact:
Debra Lynn Ross
dross@consorta.com
847-592-7864