Hitachi Awarded Multi-Year Novation Ultrasound Contracts

"We are extremely pleased to be extending our relationship withNovation, the leading healthcare supply services company," said DonBroomfield, President and CEO of HMSA. "It is very satisfying to seethat Novation's member-based task force, after examining the manyultrasound systems and manufacturers currently in the marketplace,recognizes Hitachi as an ultrasound vendor whose products and servicesthey want to offer to VHA and UHC members."

"Hitachi's HI VISION systems combine premium image quality andadvanced image acquisition features with unique clinical flexibility,"according to Courtney Chiccine, Manager of Ultrasound ClinicalScience. "The versatility offered by the HI VISION products, withtheir wide variety of probes and specialized application software,will be very attractive to VHA and UHC members," she added.

"The Novation Diagnostic Imaging Capital Equipment Task Force,made up of VHA and UHC member representatives, considered a number offinancial and non-financial criteria when making this awardrecommendation," said Cynthia Longueville, senior product manager forNovation. "The task force determined that Hitachi's offering providedvalue for VHA and UHC members and that the company should be awarded aNovation contract."

In addition to ultrasound, Hitachi also supplies Open MR systemsto VHA and UHC members through Novation agreements.

Hitachi Medical Systems America, Inc. markets premium and highperformance magnetic resonance imaging systems of Hitachi MedicalCorporation, Tokyo, Japan. These include the AIRIS(R) Elite advancedmid-field open MR system, the Altaire high-field performance MR systemand the AIRIS(R) II MR system. The company has more than 1,400 OpenMagnetic Resonance Imaging systems installed throughout the UnitedStates and over 3,100 Open MRI systems installed worldwide. HMSA firstestablished a leadership position in the medical industry with OpenMRI systems and has expanded their modality offerings to includecomputed tomography, ultrasound, PET/CT, optical topography, and 3Ddental imaging. For more information about HMSA's complete line ofimaging products and services, please visit www.hitachimed.com.

Hitachi, Ltd. (NYSE:HIT), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is aleading global electronics company, with approximately 347,000employees worldwide. Fiscal 2004 (ended March 31, 2005) consolidatedsales totaled 9,027.0 billion Yen ($84.4 billion). The company offersa wide range of systems, products and services in market sectors,including information systems, electronic devices, power andindustrial systems, medical imaging equipment, consumer products,materials and financial services.

Based in Irving, Texas, Novation was established in January 1998through a combination of the supply programs of VHA and UHC, twonational health care alliances. Novation serves the purchasing needsof more than 2,500 members and affiliates of VHA and UHC. Theseorganizations used Novation contracts to purchase more than $23billion in supplies in 2004.
For more information please contact:

David Hartman
Hitachi Medical Systems America, Inc.
1959 Summit Commerce Park
Twinsburg, Ohio 44087
800.800.3106 or 330.425.1313 Ext. 4535
330.425.1410 Fax
hartmand@hitachimed.com
www.hitachimed.com