New York, NY – Hearst recently announced it has acquired Work-Loss Data Institute (WLDI), a leading provider of healthcare data and guidelines to the workers’ compensation industry.
The announcement was made by Hearst President and CEO Steven R. Swartz, Hearst Business Media President Richard P. Malloch and Hearst Health President Gregory Dorn, MD. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
WLDI will become part of MCG Health—led by President and CEO Jon Shreve—a top provider of care management guidelines and software for health insurers and providers. MCG is part of the Hearst Health network of market-leading healthcare companies whose solutions span the clinical, pharmacy, home and hospice care, and health insurance markets.
“We are excited to bring these two leaders in evidence-based guidelines development together to further broaden our solutions and capabilities by addressing workers’ compensation, disability and return to work issues,” Malloch said. “We welcome the WLDI team to MCG.”
WLDI is the publisher of the web-based Official Disability Guidelines, known primarily as ODG®, the most widely used treatment guidelines for workers’ compensation and disability in the U.S., primarily utilized by insurance companies, employers, healthcare providers and state-run agencies. It provides evidence-based decision support for managing medical treatment, disability duration, and utilization review (the process used by insurers to safeguard against unnecessary and inappropriate medical care) in workers’ compensation and disability cases.
“It is a natural fit for WLDI to join MCG as they share a common evidence-based editorial approach,” Dorn said. “WLDI will help us advance Hearst Health’s mission by now putting information into the hands of clinicians focused on getting folks healthy and back to work.”
Phil LeFevre, WLDI senior vice president of business development, joins MCG in a leadership role and will report to Shreve. Phil Denniston is stepping down as president and CEO of WLDI and will continue in a consulting position. Co-founder Pat Whelan will also continue in a consulting position.
“We have long admired MCG, Jon Shreve and his management team and we are proud to join this outstanding organization and the Hearst Health network,” Denniston said.
Source: WLDI