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IAC acquires minority stake in The HealthCentral Network

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IAC has acquired a significant minority stake in The HealthCentral Network. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

The HealthCentral Network is a collection of over 30 owned and operated condition-specific and healthy living websites that combine authoritative health information with tight-knit communities of people, bringing together patients and experts to share wisdom and personal experience. The move marks a major push into the online health information space, and allows IAC to capitalize on THCN’s highly integrated online properties deeply focused on strong consumer-engagement.

In addition to the minority stake, Barry Diller and Peter Horan, CEO of IAC’s Media & Advertising sector, will serve on HealthCentral’s Board. In addition to this appointment, Mr. Horan will maintain responsibility for overseeing IAC’s health efforts.

Originally posted on January 28, 2008 @ 2:15 pm

HealthCare.com, MediResource to distribute and license health content, directory and tools

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healthcare.pngHealthCare.com has reached an agreement with MediResource, creator and syndicator of interactive health content to healthcare companies, government websites, and online media sites, to jointly market and license their respective content libraries, directories, and tools as a bundled health offering to website publishers. Such a solution enables destination websites to create a fully-branded, out-of-the-box online health offering that combines medically-reviewed disease, condition and medication content, health and wellness tools, a healthcare provider directory and a health vertical search engine, all on an ad-supported basis.

Under the agreement HealthCare.com and MediResource will package their content and tools offering into an integrated, hosted health portal solution. HealthCare.com will contribute their fully- branded healthcare provider directory which is comprised of 1.7 million verified listings of health professionals, practices, facilities and services across 250+ health categories, along with its proprietary health vertical search engine. MediResource will contribute an offering which includes over 20,000 pages of consumer health content including a Disease and Medical Condition Library, Drug Library, Patient Support Groups Directory, Lab Tests and Procedures Database, Interactive Symptom Checker, Daily Health Tips, Health Articles, Disease and Condition Channels, Interactive Health Tools, Calculators and Risk Assessments. Furthermore, content and tools from the MediResource offering will be implemented as part of HealthCare.com consumer facing website.

Originally posted on January 16, 2008 @ 10:32 am

HealthCentral.com launches site-wide redesign

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The HealthCentral Network launched a comprehensive site redesign that enhances the company’s offerings of in-depth medical information and large patient-to-patient support networks. The company has redesigned its sites to provide easier-to-use and more relevant information to people dealing with life-changing conditions.

In its ongoing efforts to empower patients to take control of their health experience, HealthCentral’s new sites allow users to rank content and categorize community postings by whatever topics they choose. Patients can also search the extensive recipe resource at Foodfit.com for delicious, healthy recipes that help them cope with their conditions. FoodFit was acquired by HealthCentral in 2006.

To further the company’s mission as a comprehensive resource for all the needs of online health seekers, HealthCentral has brought a new health
product Marketplace to its sites through an agreement with HealthPricer.com, enabling its users to search a vast range of products, supplements and other items that cater to their specific conditions. The HealthCentral Network has also recently re-launched drug information center HealthSquare.com, which provides users with in-depth, up-to-the minute drug information, including dosage, side-effects warnings and possible interactions.

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Originally posted on January 15, 2008 @ 4:06 pm

Virtual community for smokers determined to quit in 2008 launched

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Pennsyvania’s Secretary of Health Dr. Calvin B. Johnson announced the launch of DeterminedToQuit.com, a comprehensive online community designed to help smokers successfully quit.

Though geared for Pennsylvania’s two million smokers, the virtual community can be of useful help to everyone attempting to kick the habit of smoking.

The site, though geared for Pennsylvania’s two million smokers, features a Quit Companion that allows users to update and monitor their quit attempts and smoking lapses; schedule reminder messages to automatically be delivered to their mobile phones; and invite their family and friends to send messages of encouragement. Several current smokers from throughout Pennsylvania will also post video blogs of their quit attempts.

Originally posted on January 2, 2008 @ 9:41 am

Roo to power HealthCare.com with premium medical and health video content

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roo.pngROO Group has been selected by HealthCare.com to power health-related video content on the site. HealthCare.com empowers Internet users to take greater personal control of their health and healthcare. The deal will provide the site with state-of-the-art online video capabilities and a wide array of medical and healthcare content in order to help consumers make informed decisions and access credible information on medical conditions, women’s health, wellness, physicians, medications, Medicare options and much more.

This partnership comes as part of a major expansion to ROO’s client portfolio. Most recently, ROO has signed deals with NYPost.com, Fox Television Stations, Agence France-Presse, Chat the Planet and GeoBeats. These new deals widen ROO’s reach into varied marketplaces including news and travel.

Originally posted on November 8, 2007 @ 10:24 pm