Health Learning Systems (HLS), a CommonHealth medical-education company, has announced two new hires.

Ryad Ali has joined Health Learning Systems as director of multimedia services. He will be responsible for conceptualizing, directing and overseeing activities related to the development and production of multimedia programs including videotapes, audiotapes, CD-ROMs, symposia, video satellite conferences, Internet-based learning, Web sites and animation.

Mr. Ali comes to HLS from Amadeus Multimedia Technologies, located in Irvington, New York, where he was the manager of multimedia development and education.

Cheryl Doto has returned to CommonHealth as an associate program director for HLS. Duties in her new position will include supporting senior-level program directors in the implementation of program elements and assisting her teams in achieving program goals. Ms. Doto will also be involved in content development, faculty recruitment, budget monitoring and problem-solving.

Ms. Doto started her career as a traffic coordinator before moving into program direction for a speakers' bureau at ProCom International, an HLS sister medical-education company located in Parsippany. She then briefly tenured at Thomas Ferguson Associates, a CommonHealth professional advertising and promotion arm also in Parsippany, as an assistant business manager working in production. Most recently, Ms. Doto was a production coordinator for Tempus LLC, a design and communications firm in Wayne, N.J.

CommonHealth comprises Health Learning Systems, ProCom International, Thomas Ferguson Associates, Adient, The Quantum Group, Noesis Healthcare Interactions, The Xchange Group, The Conectics Group, MBS/Vox, Enterprise IG Health, EinsonHealth, MD/Salud, Shire Health New York, CommonHealth Europe, CommonHealth Australia and CommonHealth Kyowa.