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Steve Coplon, CEO of The West Clinic announced recently the formal launch of a new affiliated business to business consulting firm, iwest. The new firm will offer clients in the Mid-South and beyond innovative marketing, communications, and integrated business services primarily focusing on healthcare and biotechnology.

iwest is an outgrowth of an existing West Clinic consulting model whereby several top healthcare marketing and business development consultants play key roles in West's strategic business plans to develop local, regional, national, and international markets.

Under Coplon's direction, iwest's innovative professional team will consist of three principals; Virginia Steele, Kathy Hunt, and Deborah Coble, native Memphians and accomplished professionals with over 65 cumulative years in healthcare marketing and business development. iwest's team has a distinct understanding of the Mid-South business landscape and is uniquely positioned nationally and globally to facilitate the establishment and enhancement of creative business solutions.

Innovative tactics custom-tailored to client needs will be offered through modular solutions in strategic business development; market assessment, product launch, and global alliances; new venture business planning both domestic and international; physician and hospital initiatives; product/service line development; network/ referral development; marketing, communications, and public relations.

Virginia Steele is an internationally recognized consultant in healthcare/ biotechnology marketing and business development. Having served The West Clinic as Executive Vice President of International Business Development for the past two years, her role in the newly formed consulting firm brings a unique dimension of skill and recognition to the alliance. Having spent the past 15 years working in emerging markets, she now assists healthcare/ biotechnology companies with business development in national as well as international markets, with a focus on China and Southeast Asia.

Kathy E. Hunt is a nationally respected healthcare executive with notable accomplishments in not-for-profit and for-profit systems. For the past five years, Ms. Hunt has served The West Clinic as Regional Director of Business Development/Physician Services in a consulting capacity in strategic business development, physician/hospital initiatives, network development, strategic alliances, joint ventures, service line expansion, referral development, contracting, and grassroots/lobbying efforts.

Deborah Coble is a nationally-respected publicist and marketing consultant drawing on more than 15 years experience in the healthcare arena, specializing in new business development, marketing, advertising, non-profit, event planning, and domestic and international public relations. Following her return from New York, Ms. Coble's services have been retained by The West Clinic, Community Oncology Alliance, and Memphis Managed Care Corporation. Recently, she orchestrated an international public relations campaign for the opening of The West Clinic Excellence Cancer Center-Singapore.

Ms. Coble served as Director of Public Affairs in New York for NYU Medical Center's Cardiovascular Institute. She conducted multi-cultural marketing and public relations campaigns, obtaining unprecedented national and international exposure for NYU's heart program. She also directed an international Hispanic public relations campaign for cardiac surgery recognized in over 17 Latin American countries. Before moving to New York, Ms. Coble served as Vice President/Account Supervisor with Memphis-based Thompson & Company, Marketing Director/Network Development with Baptist & Physicians, and Marketing Director for the Stern Cardiovascular Center.

"Given the rapidly changing environment, healthcare entities in the greater Mid-South, across the nation, and internationally will need to deploy skilled individuals to develop and achieve their strategic initiatives," states Coplon. "In addition, there is great need to accurately assess, implement, and operationalize strategies consistent with the advent of new technologies, quality initiatives, and expanding consumer expertise in healthcare. Virginia, Kathy, and Deborah have extraordinary talent and a proven track record to enable healthcare and biotech initiatives excel in this exciting marketplace. We are pleased to launch this endeavor knowing that we are already experiencing the fruits of their success."


January 2007

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