W2O, a California-based marketing and communications firm, has acquired Maryland-based health policy consulting firm Discern Health for an undisclosed price, in a move to provide expertise in value-based care solutions for the healthcare sector.

Discern Health is a health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) consultant that is said to offer strategic direction and policy solutions to life sciences firms, government and nonprofit agencies, and health insurance companies.

The health policy consulting firm is engaged in counseling major healthcare organizations regarding the performance measures and innovative payment models that shape the market for their products and also services. Discern Health is also said to closely work with organizations for strengthening and quantifying clinical and real-world evidence strategies that inform current market access and commercialization initiatives.

Guy D’Andrea – Founder and Managing Partner of Discern Health said: “Value-based care is a key driver of health system change. To be successful, health care companies need to integrate value-based strategy into each level of their organization and each stage of product development.”

Discern Health marks the sixth acquisition for W2O ever since it announced its partnership with New Mountain Capital about a year ago. W2O seeks to grow its business by adding experts and capabilities recommended by its clients.

The team of the health policy consulting firm will operate under W2O’s single, integrated profit and loss (P&L) operation. It will gain access to all of W2O’s data models and tools and also its 1,400 member team, made up of data analysts, branding experts, scientific strategists, communications specialists, and creatives.

Rita Glaze – Practice Leader, Commercial Strategy and Market Access at W2O said: “Value-based metrics, the continued need for real-world data integration, and the changing landscape of federal, state and international health policy in the face of the COVID-19 crisis are impacting healthcare faster than ever before.

“Our clients need ongoing evidence-generation strategies that mirror the market dynamics they are facing, along with up-to-the-minute insights and counsel. This information is vital to guide policy positions and commercial decisions that will unlock maximum value for their products, solutions and services.

“With Discern Health as part of our organization, we will continue to raise the quality and depth of our data and analytics offering, to ensure it stands up to the scrutiny of peer and government review.”

  California, Discern Health, Guy D’Andrea, Maryland, Rita Glaze, USA, W2O