Robert K. Winston Joins QMed, Inc. As Marketing Director of Its QMedCare Subsidiary
EATONTOWN, N.J., Aug. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — QMed, Inc. today announced that Robert K. Winston has joined QMed, Inc., as Marketing Director of its QMedCare subsidiary. His primary responsibility is to assure membership enrollment growth by strategic and focused marketing of the Company’s Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plans.
Mr. Winston has extensive Medicare marketing experience, most recently serving as Director of Corporate Communications and Business Development at Touchstone Health Partnership in New York. Touchstone is a Medicare-specific care management company operated in partnership with physicians as a Provider Sponsored Organization (PSO). He was responsible for the development and execution of strategic internal and external marketing communications, plans and activities, which led to enrolling more than 5,000 members in the first year of operation as a PSO.
At Tufts Health Plan Secure Horizons, Boston, he served as Executive Manager for marketing, communications and advertising for its 3 state Medicare programs, producing significant enrollment that resulted in financial profitability. He developed and managed the strategy, as well as planning and implementing all marketing, communications, direct response advertising and inside sales functions. He managed regional lead generation programs, marketing and sales forecasting and agency/vendor coordination. He was accountable for a $10 million annual budget and direct management of a 16-member staff.
Prior to that, he was Marketing Director at Healthsource, Inc., a Cigna Healthcare Company. He led, directed and implemented a National Medicare program for the company’s U.S. Medicare operations.
Earlier Winston served as Regional Director of Corporate Communications for United Healthcare of New England with responsibility for Commercial, Medicare and Medicaid programs and products throughout the region. His responsibilities included corporate branding and identity, media and public relations. It incorporated advertising, direct response campaigns and community affairs as well as customized marketing communications, collateral development and hospital and physician communications.
Robert Winston commented, “I have worked with a number of well regarded and significant Medicare health plans and I am convinced that QMedCare’s Special Needs Plans represent a tremendous market opportunity. Now that Medicare will pay a risk-adjusted premium to Medicare plans for its chronically ill beneficiaries, we can market a comprehensive and innovative Medicare SNP health insurance program that I believe will find ready acceptance among Medicare beneficiaries, their physicians and their families. Naturally, that acceptance is predicated upon generating a clear, consistent and strong message and linking that message to a broad and disciplined sales effort. I’ve spent a successful career up to this point doing just that and I very much expect similar successful results at QMed.”
Michael W. Cox, QMed president and CEO said, “We are very pleased that a senior marketing professional with Robert’s career of accomplishment has joined our Company. We believe that he will play a key role in our growth as a Medicare Advantage SNP insurer. Success obviously depends upon effective marketing to Medicare beneficiaries that will gain rapid and meaningful enrollment. We believe that our SNP products for 2007 will be superb values and that the environment will be far less confusing and saturated now that Medicare’s Prescription Part D benefit has been implemented. We look forward eagerly to his contribution.”
About QMed, Inc.
QMed provides evidence-based clinical information management systems around the country to its health plan customers. The system incorporates Disease Management services to patients and decision support to physicians. The Company’s QMedCare subsidiary specializes in serving high-risk populations of Medicare beneficiaries. Forward Health is QMed’s subsidiary offering weight, obesity and health promotion programs. The Company also operates a Medicare Demonstration to test the feasibility of reimbursing its care coordinated DM services in the vast Medicare fee-for-service program. More information on QMed, Inc. can be obtained at http://www.qmedinc.com/, by calling (732) 544-5544 or by emailing investor@qmedinc.com.
Except for historical information contained herein, matters discussed in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. They include but are not limited to those relating to the timely implementation of programs, the impact of competitive product introductions, acceptance and pricing, and those risks detailed in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Actual results may differ materially from any forward-looking statements due to these risks and uncertainties.
QMed, Inc.
CONTACT: Robert Mosby of QMed, Inc., +1-732-544-5544 x1107
Web site: http://www.qmedinc.com/