WCG, a firm focused on healthcare, corporate communications, crisis, and other areas, has created a new parent company and two new firms that will, together, provide integrated communications services to industries ranging from technology to automotive and consumer goods.

The new parent company is W2O and under its umbrella will be WCG; Twist, a comms firm with a foundation in insights and analytics; and W2O Ventures, an “incubational arm” focused on partnerships.

Over the years, the company has grown “exponentially” according to Jim Weiss, chairman and CEO of the WCG network, with the company experiencing a 41 percent compounded growth rate over the past 10 years and a 29 percent jump in revenue in 2011. Revenue for last year totaled $47.6 million.

Rather than add new practice areas to maximize on these results, the firm launched this new network, which will keep the operation from getting too big.

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Dangerous cantaloupes?

A quick look at the health headlines on Google News this afternoon turned up the following headlines: “Diabetes shame plus denial a risky combo”; “As listeria death toll hits 29, question becomes: When will it end?”; and “Ridding body of old ‘zombie’ cells slows aging process, study shows.” Living in a bubble can start to sound pretty good.

According to a Pew Internet report published in May, “The Social Life of Health Information, 2011,” 59 percent of all adults have looked online for information about any of 15 topics related to a disease or a treatment. And a quarter of adults have read someone else’s POV on a health issue.

We spoke with Bob Pearson, chief technology and media officer at WCG about the use of social media in healthcare PR. This week, WCG announced a partnership with Sharecare a healthcare Q&A platform.

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