Chime Communications reported today that PR income in 2011 slipped seven percent to the $105M mark due to the restructuring of its contract with the State Dept. for communications duties in Iraq and Afghanistan.

PR, which generates 42 percent of Chime’s operating income, was bolstered by gains in financial, corporate, consumer, healthcare and in Middle East hotspots embroiled with Arab Spring issues.

CEO Lord Bell, who is continuing negotiations to buy a less than 10 percent chunk of the PR unit, expects a spurt in healthcare this year to over 10 percent of income, up from 2011’s four percent mark.

Chime is parent of PR units Bell Pottinger, Good Relations, Harvard, Resonate and Search Relations. The firm picked up PR accounts from Suzuki, Universal Music, Berkeley Homes, Lotus, Maersk Oil, Subway RIM and Bathstore during the past year.

Bell said 2012 first-quarter “started well” for the PR operation.