Jones and Bartlett Publishers buys interest in healthcare testing.

Jones and Bartlett Publishers (Sudbury, MA), the seventh largest academic publisher in the U.S. and the producer of "The Cancer Journal," "The Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network," books and online courses in such fields as EMS, medicine, nursing, computer science and health sciences, has acquired a minority equity position in Healthcare Testing, Inc. (HCT; Helena, MT), the parent company of NurseTesting.com, the largest online developer of nurse competency testing for hospitals and staffing firms, a distributor of accredited courses that help to maintain employee compliance with regulatory agencies. No terms were given.

Both companies are actively involved in the delivery of distance learning programs for the regulatory needs of physicians, nurses, EMS providers and employers. Under terms of the deal, J&B and HCT will be offering several new additional distance learning courses and course e-management solution, for training institutions, agencies, centers and students. The first new course, EmergencyCourses.com, will cover CPR, first aid and related heath disciplines for the first responder, EMT, GEMS and paramedic.