McKesson acquires RelayHealth

McKesson acquires RelayHealthMcKesson Corporation acquired doctor/patient communications company RelayHealth today and named Dr. Giovanni Colella as the head of its newly formed Personal Health Solutions Group. Dr. Colella will report to McKesson's Chairman and CEO, John Hammergren. The acquisition isn't a complete surprise, considering McKesson's strategic investment in the company last year and McKesson's desire to enter fast-growing health care technology markets.According to a press release, the Personal Health Solutions Group will...

...serve the growing market for interactive technologies that empower consumers and patients through secure electronic access to healthcare providers, personal health records, healthcare financial management systems and other tools. The group will leverage McKesson's broad-based strengths in disease management services across the entire continuum of care, from hospitals and outpatient facilities to physician offices and into the home. In addition to RelayHealth, McKesson's personal health solutions include in-home patient monitoring, Web portal technology, triage software and personal emergency response systems, to name a few. The full solution suite will include products and services from recently acquired HealthCom Partners, LLC, which provides patient billing solutions designed to simplify and enhance financial interactions between healthcare providers and their patients.