HealthGrades merges with monitoring firm CPM

Denver-based consumer health-information outlet Health Grades and customer- monitoring firm CPM in Wisconsin announced a merger Wednesday. The combination will allow consumers to choose physicians and hospitals by accessing informational databases about patient safety, satisfaction and clinical outcomes, as well as after-care marketing to patients by health care providers. CPM, based in Madison, WI, will become a new division of HealthGrades, and each company will remain in its current location. No additional jobs are expected from the merger, though each side said it improves prospects for expansion.