New Enterprise Forum (NEF) entrepreneur of the year
Wednesday, February 25
Ted Dacko, president of HealthMedia, Inc. –the pioneer in applying advanced technology to emulate a health coaching session via the web – received the 2008 New Enterprise Forum (NEF) Entrepreneur of the Year Award on Thursday, February 19, during the NEF annual “Best of 2008” celebration. Dacko was selected for his leadership and work with HealthMedia Founder Dr. Victor Strecher. Together, the two grew HealthMedia’s position as a leader in online behavior change and health counseling.
NEF is a not-for-profit corporation founded in 1986 to help entrepreneurs prosper and grow. "Ted Dacko was selected unanimously by the New Enterprise Forum board of directors,” said Phil Tepley, president of NEF. “A successful exit is often considered the true sign of success for a high growth venture. Ted Dacko led the 140-employee company to such an exit through an acquisition by Johnson & Johnson. This was not just a success for HealthMedia, but also for Michigan, as HealthMedia will remain in Michigan, and Johnson & Johnson opens up new international opportunities for growth, essentially bringing a Fortune 35 company to Michigan.”
“While I am honored to accept this award, it is the result of the hard work and dedication of every HealthMedia employee,” said Dacko. “We are very excited to take our products and company to the next level – delivering even more intelligent behavior change solutions that empower individuals to improve their quality of life.”
In addition to the NEF award, HealthMedia was named 2008 “Company of the Year” by the Michigan Business Review; received two eHealthcare Leadership Gold Awards; became a four-time Ann Arbor SPARK FastTrack Growth Award winner; and was a 2008 Global Award Finalist for a short film titled The Appointment, which focuses on the doctor-patient relationship
About HealthMedia, Inc.
HealthMedia, Inc., a Johnson & Johnson company, is the world’s innovator in combining advanced technology and behavioral science to effectively emulate a health coach via the web. HealthMedia applies its Fusion™ technology to address the most problematic pain points facing the health industry today: participation, scalability, cost, efficacy, ownership, and return on investment. HealthMedia’s suite of interventions provides automated web-based coaching for wellness, disease management, behavioral health, and medication adherence with proven outcomes, increased compliance, reduced medical utilization, and increased productivity – boosting profitability for health plans, employers, pharmaceutical companies, and behavioral health organizations. Clients include Kaiser Permanente, Daiichi Sankyo, Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, Inc., Community First Health Plans, and nine Blue Cross Blue Shield organizations across the United States. HealthMedia partners include APS Healthcare, LifeSynch, Health Dialog, SHPS, and StayWell Custom Communications, LLC. For more information, visit www.healthmedia.com.
