CommonHealth's Health Learning Systems Advances and Grows Staff.

Business Editors

PARSIPPANY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 21, 2004

Health Learning Systems (HLS), CommonHealth's founding medical education unit located in Wayne, today announced multiple promotions and new hires to support a growing client base.

CommonHealth (www.commonhealth.com) is the world's leading healthcare-communications resource and a WPP Group (LSE: WPPL.L; NASDAQ/ADR: WPPGY; www.wpp.com) company.

Promotions:

Marie Miller has been promoted to senior vice president, professional relations from vice president, professional relations. In this capacity, Ms. Miller will focus on identifying and cultivating new business opportunities for HLS, as well as orchestrating the overall management of the unit's client relationships.

David Winkler has moved to vice president, professional relations at HLS. Previously, Mr. Winkler held the title of assistant vice president, professional relations. He will be responsible for developing existing client relationships and identifying new business opportunities for the unit.

George Brown, Ph.D. has advanced to assistant vice president, professional relations from the position of associate medical director for HLS. In this position, Dr. Brown will assist the vice presidents in his department with new business development for the unit.

Maria Pollaro has been promoted to director, meetings management at HLS. Prior to her promotion, Ms. Pollaro was a senior meetings manager for the unit. Ms. Pollaro will continue to handle all of the logistics associated with the planning and execution of live events and will serve in a supervisory role within the meeting planning department.

Cheryl Doto has moved to program director from associate program director. In her new role, Ms. Doto will be responsible for developing educational content of her clients' programs, recruiting faculty and serving as a liaison between account management and medical direction on content issues and agenda development.

New Hires:

Jeff Kramer, Pharm.D., has joined HLS as a senior medical director for the unit. In this role he will provide direction of medical content for ongoing and new business activities while maintaining strong relationships with thought leaders and managing less senior-level medical directors and writers. Dr. Kramer's prior employment includes serving as vice president of medical services at Ingenix Health Education in Basking Ridge.

Joan Alexander-Bascome has joined Health Learning Systems as a senior vice president, program management and will be responsible for overseeing the unit's program department. Prior to joining HLS, Ms. Alexander-Bascome was vice president, account management at Thomson Physicians World in Secaucus and, most recently, group account director at The Scienomics Group in Greenwich, Conn.

Eric Ratinetz has come to HLS as vice president, professional relations. Mr. Ratinetz will be responsible for building upon existing client relationships and identifying new business opportunities for HLS. Before his tenure with the unit, he was a senior consultant for Campbell Alliance in Parsippany.

Sudip Biswas, M.B.A., has started with HLS as senior director, program planning and development. Mr. Biswas will be responsible for the overall management of the program teams supporting his assigned accounts. Previously, Mr. Biswas was a senior director of program management at MPE Communications in Parsippany.

Carol Pierini has joined Health Learning Systems as the unit's newest program director where she will work to drive the development of the educational content on her client accounts. Most recently, Ms. Pierini worked as a healthcare consultant at TriGenesis Communications in Chatham.

Christopher Trill has been named an account manager for the unit. His responsibilities include participating in new business development research and partnering with his unit team to ensure that client expectations are met and exceeded wherever possible. Before coming to HLS, Mr. Trill worked as an account manager at Medical Action Communications in Parsippany.

Jennifer Ostrow has come to HLS as a program coordinator where she will ensure timely program development, traffic all stages of program elements and follow up with faculty and sponsor approval on all materials. In May 2003, Ms. Ostrow earned a B.A. from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa.

Deana Capalbo-Ference has been named the unit's newest meeting coordinator. In this role, she will plan and facilitate speaker's bureau programs for her assigned accounts. Prior to coming to HLS, Ms. Capalbo-Ference was at Integrated Communications in Parsippany as a manager of the agency's speaker's bureau.

Fred Sheeler has joined Health Learning Systems as a medical word processor, a position which entails creating and editing both presentation graphics programs and text documents for on-site meetings in support of the unit's program directors. Mr. Sheeler was previously employed with UMS Group Inc. in Parsippany.

These appointments are designed to provide personnel reinforcements for HLS's rapid systems expansion, as well as allow the unit to staff appropriately to support a number of recent new business wins.

CommonHealth comprises Health Learning Systems, Thomas Ferguson Associates, Adient, The Quantum Group, Noesis Healthcare Interactions, Carbon Healthcare Communications, The Xchange Group, Solara, ProCom International, The Conectics Group, MBS/Vox, Enterprise IG Health, EinsonHealth, MD/Salud, Shire Health New York, CommonHealth Europe, CommonHealth Australia and CommonHealth Kyowa.

CommonHealth also has partnerships with the following companies: Ogilvy Healthcare Network, Media Marketing Solutions, Medical Broadcasting Company (MBC) and PDI.