Broadlane directs traffic between hospitals and medical equipment makers. Operating as The Broadlane Group, the company is a group purchasing organization (GPO) that negotiates contracts on behalf of its customers, using the combined purchasing power of its client base to get good deals on medical and surgical supplies, capital equipment, drugs, information technology systems, and even labor. It also provides supply chain, cost-control, consulting, and workforce optimization services. Broadlane serves thousands of hospitals, physician practices, and other health care facilities. Broadlane was acquired by medical software firm MedAssets in 2010 for about $850 million.