Wolters Kluwer Health introduces new division structure


(CHICAGO, April 7, 2003) - Wolters Kluwer Health today announced it has completed the realignment of its business into four customer-facing divisions as part of its strategy to become the leading global provider of information for medical and health professionals and the industries serving them. Wolters Kluwer Health is part of Wolters Kluwer nv, a multinational information services company with annual revenues of more than EUR 3.9 billion worldwide.
Wolters Kluwer Health began this transition a year ago, with the decision to divest its science holdings to focus purely on the health and medical information market and the individual customer groups within this sector.
 
"The health and medical information market is on the verge of significant change, with a growing demand for content-rich workflow tools and industry-focused information solutions that help healthcare professionals do their jobs more effectively and efficiently. Our new strategy and new structure allows us to more quickly understand and respond to the information needs of each of the professional markets that rely on us," said Christopher Ainsley, President & CEO of Wolters Kluwer Health.
 
Wolters Kluwer Health now includes four customer-focused divisions that incorporate its leading brands:
 
The Clinical Tools Division develops and sells drug and medical information tools that are integrated into hospital, pharmacy and insurer information systems to deliver clinically-relevant information at the point of practice or point of care. Clinical Tools includes two of the best-known brands for drug information, Medi-Span and Facts & Comparisons, as well as the electronic decision-support, point-of-reference products Clineguide and Skolar MD.
 
The Medical Research Division focuses on institutional customers, such as medical schools, hospitals and medical and academic libraries. It includes Ovid Technologies, the premier online information provider for hospitals and medical schools worldwide, and the primary online source for all Wolters Kluwer Health content. Medical Research also includes the clinical journals published under the Lippincott Williams & Wilkins brand and sold primarily to institutional customers.
 
The Pharma Solutions Division provides business and clinical intelligence, communications support and peer-reviewed literature and database tools to the pharmaceutical industry. It includes the combined resources of Adis International and Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Healthcare.
 
The Professional & Education Division produces critical information for medical and health professionals and students, including many of the world's leading textbooks, electronic reference tools and related products. This division includes all text and reference products produced under the Lippincott Williams & Wilkins brand for doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and students in these fields.
As part of the reorganization and to shift its focus clearly to the health and medical market, in 2002 Wolters Kluwer divested Kluwer Academic Publishers, a EUR 150 million science and technical publisher that was part of the Health group.
 
Skolar MD, an online provider of clinical information, acquired in March, is the most recent acquisition made by Wolters Kluwer Health as it continues to strengthen its portfolio of integrated workflow tools.
Wolters Kluwer recently released the 2002 results for Wolters Kluwer Health, reporting EUR 748 million in revenues, with overall growth of 10 percent and organic growth of 5 percent. Approximately EUR 228 million, or 30 percent of Wolters Kluwer Health revenues come from electronic or online information
About Wolters Kluwer Health
Wolters Kluwer Health, based in Chicago, is a leading provider of information for professionals and students in medicine, nursing, allied health, pharmacy and the pharmaceutical industry. Major brands include traditional publishers of medical and drug reference tools and textbooks, such as Lippincott Williams & Wilkins and Facts & Comparisons; online information providers, such as Ovid Technologies and Medi-Span; and pharmaceutical information provider Adis International.
About Wolters Kluwer
Wolters Kluwer nv (www.wolterskluwer.com), Amsterdam, is a multinational information services company with annual sales of more than EUR 3.9 billion and nearly 20,000 employees in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific. The company's core activities are legal, tax, business, health and education information. Wolters Kluwer's shares are quoted on the Euronext Amsterdam and are included in the AEX and Euronext 100 indices.
Contact
Connie Hofmann
Director, Communications
Wolters Kluwer Health
+1 215-521-8511
chofmann@wkhealth.com
GlobeNewswire

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