‘A momentous milestone’: Healio parent company, The Wyanoke Group, rings in 125th year
Healio’s parent company, The Wyanoke Group, is celebrating its 125th year in business, standing as one of the last American family-owned medical publishers, according to a press release.
“That’s a long time in anybody’s book and I want to tell you it’s been a great pleasure for me to have associated with this company over the past decade and more,” said Leonard H. Calabrese, DO, RJ Fasenmyer chair of clinical immunology at the Cleveland Clinic and chief medical editor of Healio Rheumatology.
Congratulating The Wyanoke Group for its quasquicentennial achievement, Calabrese added that, among the many features he likes about the Healio publication, he particularly appreciates its “candor.”
“Everything that we talk about is the real deal, and we talk honestly about the good, bad and the ugly,” he said, adding that he also enjoys the community built around the publication. “There’s a lot of new plans of how to grow that community, and I look forward to still being part of it.”
The company, founded in 1900, is also the parent of Healio LIVE, Healio Strategic Solutions, SLACK Incorporated and Vindico Medical Education. Since that time, four generations of Slack family members have been at the helm of The Wyanoke Group.
“This is a momentous milestone for a family-owned business, and I am exceptionally proud to reflect on our journey over the last 125 years,” Peter N. Slack, president and CEO of The Wyanoke Group, said in a press release. “Our success and continued growth are a testament to the steadfast commitment of our staff and leadership to putting physicians first, as well as the continued support and trust of the health care community.”
For Shika Jain, MD, FACP, associate professor of medicine at the University of Illinois Cancer Center, and host of Healio’s Oncology Overdrive podcast, working with Healio is special because “it feels like working with family.”
“It’s such a warm and welcoming environment,” she said. “The people who you engage with are not only super responsible and super accomplished, they are also friendly and actually fun to work with. I’ve loved every single thing I’ve done with Healio over the years.”
Adam Brown, MD, a rheumatologist at the Cleveland Clinic and host of the podcast Healio Rheuminations, commended The Wyanoke Group’s 125th anniversary as “an impressive accomplishment.”
“It’s pretty impressive for anything to be around 125 years, let alone a publishing company, let alone one that’s focusing on health,” he said, adding that Healio “sets itself apart by being just very readable.”
“The topics that are chosen are all relevant, are all important, and I feel the text is just enjoyable to read,” he continued. “You can pick it up off the counter of your kitchen and just read for a little while and get some interesting information that you feel is valuable.”
He additionally highlighted the flexibility of working with Healio to produce exactly the podcast he wants to make.
“There’s a lot of freedom, from a physician standpoint, to pick and choose topics that I feel are relevant,” he said. “I never get pushback for that.”
For a look back at The Wyanoke Group’s humble beginnings, and its growth alongside developments in the health care industry, check out this commemorative microsite.
“The commitment to health care runs strong in the past, present and future of The Wyanoke Group. It has always been in our DNA,” Slack said. “In 2025, we celebrate our origin story while also renewing our passion to being the premier omnichannel for health care professionals for years to come.”
References:
The Wyanoke Group celebrates 125 years in medical publishing. https://wyanokegroup.com/press_room_posts/the-wyanoke-group-celebrates-125-years-in-medical-publishing/. Published Jan. 27, 2025. Accessed Jan. 27, 2025.