FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Brian Shanahan MediSpin Inc. 646-452-1647 FAX: 212-255-9957 Email: bshanahan@medispin.com http://www.medispin.com MediSpin Inc. Receives NIMH Contract to Create Postpartum Depression Web Site (New York, NY; September 14, 2004) MediSpin Inc. has received a Phase I Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) contract for $100,000 from the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) to give primary care providers training and support materials on postpartum depression (PPD). The SBIR program, a competitively awarded, three-phase Federal Government initiative, is designed to stimulate technological innovation and provide opportunities for small business. Since 2002, MediSpin has been awarded nearly $2 million in grants and contracts under the SBIR program. About 13% of women experience depression in the first year after childbirth, leading to negative effects on their relationships, functional status, and ability to care for their child. Although primary care providers (including pediatricians, family physicians, obstetricians, nurse practitioners, and nurse midwives) have the most contact with postpartum women, there has been a lack of formal education and continuing medical education programs on PPD aimed at these health-care professionals. Brian Shanahan, MediSpin CEO and Principal Investigator for this contract, explains, "Under this contract, we plan to develop an innovative teaching/instructional program on PPD that focuses on the specific interests and needs of primary care providers and students. The ultimate goal is to improve the quality of health care received by women with PPD in primary care settings." MediSpin is a multimedia medical communications company that specializes in development of interactive learning for healthcare professionals, consumers, and researchers. MediSpin produces online and offline symposia, eDetailing, CD-ROMs, educational software and databases, Web sites, video, and animations. Located in New York, its clients include pharmaceutical companies, online CME/CE content providers, leading medical centers, and the government. For more information, please contact Brian Shanahan at 646-452-1647. -END-