The move is part of a growing trend among industry organizations that are trying to ease storage management headaches for their members.

The hospital association said that so far, two member hospitals have contracted for the service, which is being provided by IPR International LLC in Conshohocken, Pa.

Ten other hospitals are "imminently interested" in the service, said an IPR spokeswoman.

Karen Graham, CIO at Cooper Hospital University Medical Center in Mt. Laurel, N.J., said Cooper became the first member of the NJHA to lease the IPR product two years ago, long before the organization began offering it to its membership.

Graham said she likes the idea of a single backup/disaster recovery service for all area hospitals. During natural disasters, such as the recent spate of hurricanes, it can be reassuring to know that all organizations can recover data at the same rate.