NEW YORK (March 27, 2007) — About.com, a top ten content site and a part of The New York Times Company, announced today that it has acquired UCompareHealthCare.com (UCHC), a site that provides consumers with access to quality ratings and related information on hospitals, nursing homes, mammography centers, fertility clinics and doctors. Terms of the purchase were not disclosed.
“This acquisition demonstrates About.com’s commitment to our industry-leading Health channel,” said Scott Meyer, president and CEO, About, Inc. “By incorporating UCHC into About.com Health, we have added in-depth original content that enriches the user experience and increases engagement on the site.” About.com Health is one of the Web’s leading Health sites and attracts approximately five million unique users each month (Nielsen//NetRatings).
Founded in 2004, UCompareHealthCare.com compiles information from hundreds of sources to serve as the foundation for detailed reports that help consumers make more informed decisions about healthcare providers.
The physician reports offered by UCHC cover training, education, specialty, certification, location of practice and other matters of interest. Its hospital reports provide Inpatient Quality Indicators (IQIs) and Patient Safety Indicators (PSIs) as well as other information on specific conditions, procedures and services offered. The site’s Decision Assistant identifies quality measures relevant to specialty care provided by a hospital. Finally, nursing home reports include information on services offered, number of beds, number of nurses, quality measures, inspection results, etc.
“UCHC’s wealth of information on the quality of local health providers, combined with About.com’s deep condition and wellness content, helps us to create one of the most robust consumer online health experiences available,” said Marjorie Martin, general manager, About.com Health.
Content on About.com Health is overseen by a medical director and a five-person medical review board. It is authored by approximately 80 Health Guides with plans to increase its coverage in areas such as neurology, women’s health, arthritis, oncology, gastroenterology (GI) and heart disease in 2007. Pageviews for About.com Health were up an estimated 78 percent in February 2007 versus the same month last year (Source: Nielsen//NetRatings). For 2006, About.com’s revenues rose approximately 50 percent.
UCHC’s founder, Mark J. Donnelly, and its staff have become employees of About.com. Mr. Donnelly reports to Ms. Martin. UCompareHealthCare.com will continue to be headquartered in Framingham, Mass.
About About.com
Founded in 1996, About.com is one of the Web’s leading producers of original content. The site’s expert Guides provide users with accurate and unbiased information to help them live happier, healthier and more successful lives.
In March 2005, About.com was acquired by The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT), a media company with 2006 revenues of $3.3 billion. The New York Times Company includes The New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, The Boston Globe, 15 other daily newspapers, nine network-affiliated television stations, two New York City radio stations and 35 Web sites, including NYTimes.com and Boston.com. The Company’s core purpose is to enhance society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news, information and entertainment.
Investor Contacts:
Catherine J. Mathis, 212-556-1981; E-mail: mathis@nytimes.com
Paula Schwartz, 212-556-5224; E-mail: schwap@nytimes.com
Press Contacts:
Lisa Langsdorf, About.com, 212-204-1467, llangsdorf@about.com
This press release can be downloaded from, www.nytco.com