WebMD Health (an Internet Brands company and a leader in health information services for consumers, physicians and other healthcare professionals) recently announced it has joined forces with Healthwise, Incorporated, the patient and member health education and engagement company, by acquiring Healthwise’s current operating assets.
Healthwise provides a powerful offering of consumer health content to help healthcare organizations engage with and educate patients and members in their healthcare journey – reducing care costs while empowering patients and improving quality. And this market-leading curriculum forms the backbone of an impressive suite of solutions that enables health systems and health plans to meet patients and members where they are, whether through care management platforms, at the point of care, or digitally through online patient portals.
Healthwise’s operating assets — including content, products, technology, client relationships and certain trademarks — will join WebMD Ignite, which is WebMD’s market-leading healthcare growth and engagement division serving health organizations, healthcare professionals, providers and payers. And WebMD Ignite is transforming the healthcare ecosystem by driving personalization, championing education, and connecting at every touchpoint along the health journey.
This asset purchase is another step toward improving U.S. healthcare through a vision of improved patient and increased the member engagement using relevant, easily understood and interactive consumer health education. And with the acquisition of Healthwise’s operating assets, WebMD Ignite will serve over 650 healthcare organizations with its best-in-class patient education, including over 50% of hospitals in the U.S. and 85% of the top 20 payers. More broadly, WebMD Ignite will be the largest healthcare growth engagement platform in the country, with over 500 professionals serving providers, payers, disruptors, and other healthcare organizations.
Going forward, the Healthwise Board of Directors will continue exploring new ways for the Healthwise nonprofit entity to achieve its mission of helping people make better health decisions through an independent go-forward nonprofit entity outside of the payer and provider space. The terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Healthwise was represented by Canaccord Genuity LLC throughout this process.
KEY QUOTES:
“The addition of Healthwise’s business increases our already significant scale in content, technology, data and AI. The addition of Healthwise’s assets to Ignite Education will accelerate our ability to create engagement solutions that are deeply personalized and that are delivered in the moments that matter. With these expansive, industry-leading resources, we are the dominant provider of engagement and education solutions for healthcare.”
“This transaction will put the best content at the point of care for significantly more than half of U.S. hospital patients, as well as for the membership of most major payor organizations. We will empower every health system, healthcare provider and health plan with the education their patients and members need to move successfully through their care journey – from Discovery to Recovery.”
- Ann Bilyew, Executive Vice President, Health, and President, Healthcare Solutions Group at Internet Brands
“For nearly 50 years, the Healthwise team has developed the highest quality education content and solutions, created for all people to help them live their healthiest lives, and I could not be prouder of our legacy. We now have an opportunity to extend our mission through the broader solutions and delivery platforms offered by WebMD Ignite. This transaction will have an even greater impact on health consumers by uniting the potential of two leading organizations in the patient education space.”
- Dr. Adam Husney, CEO, Healthwise
