PharmaCentra Makes The Call

ATLANTA, GA (February 6, 2007) - PharmaCentra, an Atlanta-based marketing and services firm that caters to the pharmaceutical industry with a suite of customizable healthcare management programs, has announced the opening of its newest healthcare information facility in Fitzgerald, Georgia. The call center, located on the campus of East Central Technical College (ECTC) adjacent to Fitzgerald's recently completed Millennium Technology Pointe, will be staffed by approximately 40 highly-trained healthcare representatives who will support the various PharmaCentra programs currently being employed by leading pharmaceutical companies to build strong relationships with physicians and patients nationwide.
According to Dan Berman, Chairman and CEO of PharmaCentra, the decision to open the facility in Fitzgerald, which lies 178 miles south of Atlanta, was a strategic one, as the city boasted many resources that made it a top contender. 'We looked at a number of communities and were very impressed by Fitzgerald's economic development process, the technology infrastructure that was in place and the educated labor force we would be able to tap into,' he notes. 'In fact, two of the most important factors we considered in our search were the quality and the work ethic of the labor force. In Fitzgerald, we were able to hire more than 30 healthcare professionals in less than two weeks, and we're confident that they will be able to deliver the kind of first-rate service that our clients have come to expect from PharmaCentra.'

PharmaCentra is the inaugural tenant of Millennium Technology Pointe, the new 214-acre regional development built by the Joint Development Authority of Ben Hill & Irwin Counties as part of a major economic development initiative that includes promoting Fitzgerald's growing technology sector and fostering technology job opportunities for local residents. And although the call center technically is located next to the technology park on the ECTC campus, the 3,000-square-foot building it occupies shares the same redundant fiber connectivity that all businesses in Millennium Technology Pointe will enjoy. When the facility has its official grand opening on February 15, PharmaCentra will be able to launch a variety of projects immediately, as the new healthcare representatives will have easy and reliable access to the exclusive technology that is at the heart of the firm's successful programs.

'The Joint Development Authority and ECTC have been instrumental in getting us up and running,' Berman states. 'We had our initial meetings in December, and we will be open in less than 30 days from the moment we made our decision to locate in Fitzgerald.'

Gerald Thompson, chairman of the Ben Hill-Irwin Joint Development Authority, explains why Fitzgerald strived to help PharmaCentra make a smooth transition in the technology-focused city. 'We're looking at this as a three-pronged partnership between the community, East Central Technical College and PharmaCentra,' he contends. 'It's absolutely wonderful to have the company in Fitzgerald, and we know the partnership will help our city continue to grow. It was just a perfect fit.'

Ken Stewart, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, agrees. 'We're proud that Georgia can provide the high-quality resources that innovative companies like PharmaCentra need, and the speed with which they need them,' he says. 'The collaboration that brought the company to Fitzgerald is typical of the way Georgians pull together to help ideas become reality.'

PharmaCentra, located in Atlanta, offers customizable programs that help pharmaceutical companies provide comprehensive support to the physicians and patients who depend on their brands. From compliance and persistency to strategic sales and marketing, PharmaCentra's programs and services represent the future of healthcare management, offering clients integrated initiatives that allow them to effectively manage the flow of information between themselves, physicians and patients while increasing market share. For more information, contact Barry Green, Executive V.P. & CCO, at 770-395-0088, ext. 2030, or visit www.pharmacentra.com.