SpineMark, Wooridul Healthcare of Korea Partner to Advance Spine Health, Research and Education

Agreement will foster international clinical trial research into devices and technologies to treat spinal disorders and diseases SAN DIEGO, June 5


SAN DIEGO, June 5 /PRNewswire/ -- SpineMark Corporation, a spine care
services organization that partners with hospitals and physicians to develop
spine centers and facilitate clinical research, and Wooridul Hospital of Korea
have established an international alliance that will leverage and build upon
the spine excellence of each organization. Through this joint venture,
SpineMark and Wooridul will create centers designed to advance the development
of programs for clinical care, research and medical education to achieve more
effective care worldwide for patients who have suffered back injuries.


As part of the alliance, SpineMark and Wooridul will open spine Centers of
Excellence, clinical and spine research organizations and medical education
facilities.


"Wooridul Hospital is renowned for its state of the art facilities and
work in spine treatment research," said Marcy T. Rogers, M.Ed., president and
CEO of SpineMark. "This collaboration is a natural extension of our work and
commitment to advancing spine treatment options to patients on a global level.
Both SpineMark and Wooridul share a fundamental belief that all patients -- no
matter where they live in the world -- should have access to spine care that
will improve their quality of life and help them get back on their feet as
quickly as possible."


By working together, Wooridul and SpineMark aim to co-establish and manage
a clinical research organization with spinal research organizations (SROs) in
Korea, Shanghai, Singapore, Japan, India and Abu Dhabi. Additionally, the
organizations plan to develop a state-of-the-art medical education center with
training facility in Singapore, similar to the SpineMark Medical Conference
Center at Texas Back Institute in Plano, Texas. This center will serve to
train physicians on the latest clinical advancements in spine care.


Under the agreement, medical device companies will be able to contract
with SpineMark and Wooridul to gain access to their network of research sites.
Once the SpineMark International Medical Advisory Board, chaired by Dr. Rudolf
Bertagnoli, has approved a prospective study, the SRO will begin enrolling
patients under SpineMark's CRO Management (SCROM), a wholly owned subsidiary
of SpineMark and the nation's only clinical research organization dedicated to
spine. With this design, SpineMark and Wooridul will be able to provide
intermediary third-party oversight to clinical trials being conducted in the
network to ensure quality monitoring, surveillance and resources are brought
to bear for participating patients.


"As healthcare globalization continues and patients become savvier about
what is available to them worldwide, we are focused on providing the best
treatments available at facilities that are subject to, and comply with, the
most stringent regulatory guidelines in the world," said Dr. Sang-Ho Lee,
chairman of the Board of Wooridul Hospital. "By partnering with SpineMark, we
are building an international bridge for education, facility development and
clinical research that brings together the most advanced physicians and
business practices from around the world."


Established in 1982, Wooridul Hospital has more than 25 years of
experience in providing systematic spine management as a total care system
covering spine disease prevention, diagnosis, testing, treatment and
rehabilitation. Its 108 spinal surgeons treat patients in its various
hospitals located in Seoul, Busan, Gimpo Airport and Daegu.


The agreement will also benefit Wooridul's state-of-the-art medical
destination facilities, which are designed to provide top quality healthcare
in a resort setting to patients from all over the world.


"Our goal is to create global medical destination centers that provide
advanced treatment options to people who suffer from spinal disorders and
diseases," said Dr. Jihoon Jeong, director of research and international
business at Wooridul Hospital. "Ongoing research and education activities are
at the heart of this goal. SpineMark's model of offering physicians and device
companies the oversight and support needed to conduct clinical trials under
one umbrella will allow us to further our R&D efforts on a global level."



About SpineMark


SpineMark Corporation is an innovative service organization dedicated to
transforming the delivery of spine care. The company partners with hospitals
and physicians across the United States and abroad to develop and operate
comprehensive, evidence-based spine centers of excellence. By building a
global network of spine centers, spine research organizations and
state-of-the-art medical conference facilities, SpineMark is improving the
overall quality of life of patients afflicted with spine disorders and
injuries.


Driven by the specialized experience and expertise of its leadership team
and medical advisory board, SpineMark's goal is to create a global network,
based on clinically validated best practices for spine care that streamline
diagnosis and treatment, simplify referrals and accelerate the recovery
process.



SOURCE  SpineMark Corporation