SAN DIEGO, Dec. 1, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals recently recognized population health management company American Specialty Health (ASH) and its prevention and wellness subsidiary Healthyroads with three Platinum and five Gold MarCom Awards for excellence in marketing and communication. The association consists of several thousand marketing, communication, advertising, public relations, media production, and freelance professionals. This was the first time ASH and Healthyroads had entered the competition, which is open to all industries, including health care.

Healthyroads received two Platinum awards for its How to Build a Fit Company(TM) guidebook -- one in the Writing/Product Catalog category and the other in the Brochure/Consumer Awareness category. The company's worksite education class won a platinum award as well. Healthyroads also received gold awards for its health challenges series and Valentine's Day smoking cessation poster. In addition, ASH's "The Future of Wellness" PowerPoint Webinar, as well as its "Stepping It Up" 2008 Year in Review and Health Plan Sales brochures received Gold awards.

According to the MarCom Web site, the international awards competition is for marketing and communication professionals involved in the concept, writing, and design of marketing and communication programs and print, visual, and audio materials. Entries come from corporate marketing and communication departments, advertising agencies, PR firms, design shops, production companies, and freelancers.

About American Specialty Health and Healthyroads

American Specialty Health Incorporated (ASH) is a national company that provides population health management programs including prevention and wellness services, specialty network management programs, and fitness and exercise services to health plans, insurance carriers, employer groups, and trust funds. Based in San Diego since its inception in 1987, ASH has more than 700 employees and covers over 15.6 million members.

Healthyroads, Inc. is the prevention and wellness services subsidiary of ASH. Healthyroads offers a wide range of wellness solutions -- including award-winning telephone-based coaching programs for a broad range of lifestyle areas, incentive management programs, challenges, worksite programs and its integrated Web site, Healthyroads.com.

For more information about ASH health and wellness programs, visit www.ASHCompanies.com or call 800.848.3555.

CONTACT:  American Specialty Health
          Debby Clark
            619.578.2000
            debbyc@ashn.com
          Tim Curns
            800.848.3555
            timc@ashn.com