Healtheon/WebMD Invests $100 Million in VitalWorks

In an ongoing effort to expand its health care business, Healtheon/WebMD Friday pumped about $100 million into InfoCure Corp.’s new online subsidiary VitalWorks.com.

With the agreement, Healtheon/WebMD will purchase $10 million in cash
preferred stock prior to VitalWorks.com’s IPO, which would equal 1 percent of the VitalWorks outstanding shares after the completion of its initial public offering. The online health care firm will invest an additional $90 million ($40 million in cash and $50 million of Healtheon/WebMD common stock) upon completion of the IPO.

InfoCure (INCX)
will use Healtheon/WebMD’s (HLTH)
transaction processing platforms and incorporate the WebMD portal into the
VitalWorks ASP technology. InfoCure and Healtheon/WebMD have also entered
into a joint research and development venture to develop a practice
management application which will work in tandem with Healtheon/WebMD’s
transaction platform. The goal is to increase connectivity between clients.

“We believe that this initiative, along with our previously announced
agreements with our other practice management software partners establish
Healtheon/WebMD as the leader in healthcare connectivity,” said Mike Long,
chairman and chief operational officer of Healtheon/WebMD.

InfoCure Corp. is a leading national provider of healthcare practice
management software products and services to targeted healthcare practice
specialties.

Within the past month, Healtheon has forged a number agreements to expand
its transaction business to doctors, patients and insurance companies. Its
largest deal came Jan. 24, when it bought claims-processing provider Quintiles Transnational (QTRN) for $2.5 billion. Healtheon planned to partially fund the purchase with a $930 million investment from investment firm Janus Capital, made three days later.