The ambulatory surgery center business has thrived since its inception a relatively short time ago. Today, physicians, administrators, executives and more stand out as leaders in the field. Here are more than 500 people to know who have impacted the ASC industry and continue to stand out in their leadership roles.
Note: This list includes leaders from previous lists combined by the Becker's Healthcare editorial team. Leaders could not and cannot pay for inclusion. Names are arranged alphabetically. Please contact Carrie Pallardy at cpallardy@beckershealthcare.com if you would like to recommend an ASC leader for inclusion on this list.
Margaret Acker, RN, MSN, CASC, is CEO of Blake Woods Medical Park Surgery Center in Jackson, Mich. She previously served as administrator at Southwest Surgical Center in Grand Rapids, Mich. She has been chair of the Michigan Ambulatory Surgery Association membership committee and formerly was CEO of Blake Woods Medical Park Surgical Center. She has more than a decade of experience in the ASC industry.
Charles Adelmann, MD, a board-certified gastroenterologist, is the medical director of the Merritt Healthcare-affiliated Surgical Center of Connecticut in Bridgeport. Dr. Adelmann is a physician partner of Southview Medical Associates. He spent the last three years with this ASC physician partners to develop and expand the Surgical Center of Connecticut.
Charlie Agnone, MD, FACS, is a board-certified ophthalmologist and a founding member of Marysville (Ohio) Surgical Center. Dr. Agnone is also on the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association board of directors.
Traci Albers is the executive director of High Pointe Surgery Center in Lake Elmo, Minn., and North Memorial Ambulatory Surgery Center at Maple Grove (Minn.). Both centers are affiliated with Surgical Management Professionals. Ms. Albers has more than 15 years of experience in ASC and healthcare management.
G. Edward Alexander is president and CEO of Surgical Development Partners, which partners with physicians and hospitals and provides professional management, project development and access to capital. Prior to joining SDP, he served as CFO of TeamHealth; founder and CFO of OrthoLink Physicians; founding president and CEO of Surgical Alliance; and vice president of finance and treasurer of Medaphis.
Thais Aliabadi, MD, certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, is a physician providing comprehensive women's health services in Los Angeles. Since 2002, Dr. Aliabadi has offered patients the latest diagnostic and treatment services for a wide range of obstetric and gynecologic conditions.
Amy Allard is administrative director of Ramapo Valley Surgical Center in Ramsey, N.J. The center opened in 2005 and offers ENT, ophthalmology, orthopedics, pain management and podiatry procedures. Ms. Allard has been with the surgery center for nine years.
Scott Allen joined National Medical Billing Services, one of the largest ASC revenue cycle management companies in the country in 2008 and is the vice president of managed care contracting. He manages all aspects of ASC managed care contracts, which include analysis of language and rates, contract audits and developing best practices for implementing standard operating procedures for the managed care contracts throughout the revenue cycle.
James Andrews, MD, is a founding member of the Andrews Institute Ambulatory Surgery Center in Gulf Breeze, Fla. Dr. Andrews is also a founding member of Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Center, which has locations in Birmingham, Hoover and Pelham, Ala. Throughout his career, Dr. Andrews has mentored more than 300 fellows in orthopedic and primary care sports medicine through the ASMI Sports Medicine Fellowship Program.
Dianne Appleby, RN, BSN, MBA, is the executive director of the Menomonee Falls (Wis.) Ambulatory Surgery Center and a member of the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association board. She has administrative experience in hospitals, home health, medical groups and ambulatory surgery. She has been president of the Wisconsin Surgery Center Association.
Jesseye Arrambide RN, BSN, CNOR, has been the executive director of Oregon Outpatient Surgery Center, in Tigard since it's opening in 2004. The center is a joint venture with Providence Health and Services. She served as President of Oregon Ambulatory Surgery Center Association until 2014, served on the ASCA Government affairs committee, and currently is co-chair of the ASCAPAC committee.
Vickie Arjoyan, BSN, CASC, has been at Specialty Surgical Center for more than 15 years. She received her BSN and CASC last year at the same time she celebrated her 15th anniversary with the center.
Cindy Armistead is the administrator of Campbell Clinic Surgery Center in Germantown, Tenn. The surgery center is affiliated with Campbell Clinic Orthopaedics.
Lisa Austin, RN, CASC, is a vice president of operations for Pinnacle III. Ms. Austin has been an active member of the Colorado Ambulatory Surgery Center Association since its inception and now serves as the organization's president. She also holds a position on the MedAssets Surgery Center advisory board. Ms. Austin has been a registered nurse for more than 29 years.
David Ayers is CEO of U.S. operations at Nueterra Healthcare. Mr. Ayers continues to expand his considerable experience working with physicians and health systems to develop domestic and international partnerships through Nueterra Healthcare's global growth strategy. He also serves on the board of directors of Physicians Hospitals of America and the government affairs committee for the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association.
Rodger Baca is a vice president of acquisitions and development for Ambulatory Surgical Centers of America. He has more than 20 years of experience in executive positions with global leaders in logistics, telecom, financial services and consulting. Mr. Baca's focus is on increasing profitability, creating revenue, building organizations and increasing operational efficiency.
Beverly Baker is the administrator of Timberlake Surgery Center in Chesterfield, Mo. Ms. Baker has been the center's administrator for more than six years. The center offers orthopedics, podiatry and pain management services.
Joseph Banno, MD, is founder and co-owner of Peoria (Ill.) Day Surgery Center. He has been associated with Peoria Urological Associates for more than 30 years and serves as a clinical instructor of urology at the University of Illinois College of Medicine. Over the past few years, Dr. Banno has been involved in developing the world's first mobile ambulatory surgery center.
Robert O. Baratta, MD, is a partner and CEO of Ascent Surgical Partners. He also serves as president and CEO of 3D Custom Collagen, a biotechnology company that provides 3D Collagen scaffolds and customized collagen products to the healthcare and research industry. He is also chairman of the board of MedAmerica HealthCare Suppliers. He is an ophthalmologist who has 25 years of experience managing surgery centers.
John W. Barnard Jr., MD, is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine physician. He practices with the Orthopaedic Center of Central Virginia in Lynchburg. Dr. Barnard focuses on knee surgery, shoulder surgery, sports medicine and pediatrics. He is also a physician-owner of The Surgery Center of Lynchburg (Va.).
John Bartos, JD, is CEO of Collect Rx, a company focused on out-of-network billing for healthcare providers. He has previous experience as President of DrFirst and executive vice president of Prematics. He has serviced a wide range of for-profit and not-for-profit health insurers as well as numerous health systems and physician practices.
Nora Bass, MBA, is the vice president of surgery at Parkview Health, based in Fort Wayne, Ind. Prior to her current role, Ms. Bass as was the director of surgery and orthopedics service line at Providence Hospital. She earned her MBA from Davenport (Iowa) University.
Gregary W. Beasley serves as president of Hospital Corporation of America's Ambulatory Surgery Division. He has been with HCA's ambulatory surgery division since 1995 and previously served as COO of the division, in charge of daily operations. Mr. Beasley and his team have been responsible for the development and acquisition of numerous ambulatory surgery centers and the continuous refinement of the operations processes.
James Bee, MD, a board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon, performs procedures at The Orthopaedic and Spine Center of Southern Colorado in Colorado Springs. The surgery center is a collaboration between Colorado Springs Orthopaedic Group and Pinnacle III. Dr. Bee focuses on cervical and lumbar spine surgery, musculoskeletal oncology, scoliosis and spine trauma.
Jacqueline Belcher is administrator of Inland Surgery Center in Redlands, Calif., a Surgical Care Affiliates facility. She has held the position for more than three years and was previously business office manager at the center. In 2013, she received SCA's "Top Administrator for 2013 for Service Excellence" recognition.
Julie Bell is administrator at Hawthorn Surgery Center in Libertyville, Ill., a multispecialty Surgical Care Affiliates center. She has been administrator at Hawthorne for nearly 15 years.
Sean Benson is the co-founder of ProVation Medical, now part of Wolters Kluwer Health, and has been involved in the company's operations since its inception in 1994. He is currently the vice president of innovation with Wolters Kluwer Health, Clinical Solutions. He has experience in research and development, product management, sales, marketing, business development and client services.
Michael Berend, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon with Indiana Specialty Surgery Center in Bloomington. Dr. Berend is also a part of the Franciscan Physician Network, based in Mooresville, Ind. He has completed fellowships in joint replacement surgery and sports medicine.
Stacey Berner, MD, is the president and a full-time principal of SurgCenter Development. Dr. Berner is an orthopedic hand and upper extremity surgeon. Prior to joining SurgCenter Development, he held several leadership roles including medical director of the Hand Centers at Carroll Hospital Center and Northwest Hospital Center in Maryland.
Kathleen Bernicky, RN, BSN, is director of clinical operations with Regent Surgical Health. Ms. Bernicky has more than 35 years of clinical experience. She has held several leadership roles including chief nursing officer of the Surgical Hospital of Munster (Ind.) and emergency department manager at Community Hospital in Munster, Ind. She completed her bachelor's degree in nursing at Purdue University in Lafayette, Ind., and received her BSN from the College of St. Francis.
Curtis H. Bernstein, CPA/ABV, ASA, CVA, MBA, is the director of valuation services for Altegra Health. Mr. Bernstein has expertise in providing valuation, transaction advisory and strategic consulting for clients. He has experience with ASCs, physician groups, hospital systems and other healthcare providers. Prior to joining Altegra Health, he was assistant controller for a large general acute care hospital.
Sandi Berreth, RN, BS, MS, CASC, is the administrator of Brainerd Lakes Surgery Center in Baxter, Minn., a position she has held for more than a decade. Ms. Berreth is also an AAAHC Medicare surveyor. She earned her nursing degree from St. Luke's School of Nursing and here BS and MBA from the University of Mary in Bismarck, N.D.
Dan Beuerlein, MBA, is the chief development officer and executive vice president of reproductive health ASC and laboratory management and development company Vivere Health. Mr. Beuerlein joined Vivere in 2013. His past experience includes CDO of Springstone and regional vice president of operations with Symbion. He earned his BS in engineering from Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville and completed his MBA at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn.
Gerald Biala, RN, MS, CNOR, is senior vice president of perioperative services at Surgical Care Affiliates. He previously served as a senior executive of Assay Healthcare Solutions. He has experience in management and operations of surgical and anesthesia services in both hospitals and ASCs. He has worked in a consulting role for more than 15 years and previously served as national director for surgical services consulting for Ernst and Young.
Brad Bickham, JD, is the chief legal office of United Surgical Partners International. Mr. Bickham joined USPI in 2014. Previously, he was the chief legal officer and executive vice president of Correctional Healthcare Companies. He completed his JD at the Paul M. Herbert Law Center at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.
Chris Bishop is senior vice president of acquisitions and business development for Blue Chip Surgery Center Partners. He previously served as vice president of business development for Ambulatory Surgical Centers of America. He has 15 years of experience in leadership roles in the medical device and surgery center industries.
Stephen E. Blake, JD, MBA, CPC, is the CEO of Central Park Surgery Center in Arlington, Texas. He has successfully guided the organization through the many challenges that an independent ASC must maneuver through especially during today's turbulent healthcare times. He is a board member, executive committee member and officer with the Texas Ambulatory Surgery Center Society, as well as a past president. He has testified before the Texas Legislature on several occasions and continues to stay active in ASC legislative and regulatory matters at the state and federal level.
Angie Blankinship, RN BSN, CASC, CRN-C10, is the administrator of Northstar Healthcare Surgery Center in Dallas. She most recently served as administrator of Longmont (Colo.) Surgery Center, a position she held for two years. Previously, she was also the director of surgery at San Luis Valley Regional Medical Center in Alamosa, Colo. Ms. Blankinship spoke the ASCA meeting in Nashville this year. She completed her BSN the University of Texas at Arlington.
Jeff Blankinship is the CEO and president of Surgical Notes, which provides transcription services to more than 450 surgery centers and 6,500 physicians in 42 states. He also launched the Surgery Center Network, as well as the price transparency platform I Need a Surgery.
Robert Boeglin, MD, is the board president of the Midwest Eye Institute in Indianapolis, a position he has held since 1997. He has been an active lecturer at the American Academy of Ophthalmology national conference and received the AAO Achievement Award in 2002. Dr. Boeglin also co-founded Health Venture Management, a company that develops and oversees ASCs formed by physicians and IU Health.
Allison Bolger, MBA, is the CFO of Surgical Management Professionals. Ms. Bolger has more than 20 years of experience in healthcare financial management. She began her career as a staff auditor at a regional CPA firm. She went on to hold a number of leadership positions, including CFO for Dells Area Health Center and division controller for Avera McKennan. She earned her bachelor's degree in accounting and her MBA from the University of South Dakota in Vermillion.
Dotty Bollinger, RN, JD, LHRM, CASC, CMPE, serves as president and COO over all of Laser Spine Institute's nationwide ambulatory surgery centers. In her role, she has established processes and procedures that have improved the efficiency of patient care. Most recently, Ms. Bollinger has been instrumental in leading Laser Spine Institute's expansion efforts as the organization opened a new center in Cleveland in November and plans to open additional centers in St. Louis and Cincinnati in the coming weeks.
Thomas Bombardier, MD, FACS, is an ophthalmologist and a founding principle of Ambulatory Surgical Centers of America. Prior to founding ASCOA, Dr. Bombardier established one of the largest ophthalmic practices in Massachusetts, two ASCs and a regional referral center. For the past several years he has worked as a real estate developer in Cape Cod, Mass.
Regina Boore has more than 27 years of experience in the ASC industry both as a nurse and as a manger. She is currently administrator at Newport Bay Surgery Center in Newport Beach, Calif. In addition to administrative duties, she is principal and CEO of Progressive Surgical Solutions.
Clint Borm, Laser Spine Institute, serves as the vice president of business development at Laser Spine Institute managing the Employer Relations, Physician Relations, Workers' Compensation and Sports Development departments. In his role, Mr. Borm works to develop relationships within the local and medical communities where Laser Spine Institute has locations. Mr. Borm joined Laser Spine Institute in 2007 as a patient care coordinator and was quickly recognized for his leadership abilities and became the organization’s first consultation specialist.
Nancy Boyd is administrator at Crane Creek Surgery Center in Melbourne, Fla., affiliated with Blue Chip Surgical Partners. The ASC includes eight physicians who have a special interest in spine surgery, orthopedic surgery and general surgery.
Bonnie Brady, RN, CNOR, is a vice president of operations, East Coast with ASD Management. Previously, she managed multispecialty ASCs as New Jersey regional administrator for Medical Forefronts Management. Ms. Brady is also an executive board member of the New Jersey Association for Ambulatory Surgery Centers.
Robert S. Bray Jr., MD, a board-certified neurological spine surgeon, is the CEO and founding director of DISC Sports and Spine Center in Marina del Rey, Calif. He has performed more than 10,000 successful surgeries, the majority of which have been outpatient procedures. Since being founded in 2006, DISC has expanded to included locations in Los Angeles and Orange County.
Brett Brodnax is president and chief development officer of United Surgical Partners International. Mr. Brodnax joined USPI in 1999. Previously, he was an assistant vice president at Baylor Health Care System.
David M. Brown, MD, is a board-certified hand and upper extremity surgeon. Dr. Brown performs procedures at the Symbion-affiliated Timberlake Surgery Center in Chesterfield, Mo. Dr. Brown completed his fellowship training at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.
Jennifer Brown, RN, is an endoscopy nurse manager for Gastroenterology Associates of Central Virginia in Lynchburg. She is responsible for overseeing endoscopy operations and administration. Her previous experience includes time as a nursing supervisor for Centra Health's Lynchburg General Hospital. She has received the Coastal Carolina Community College Clinical Excellence Award four times, after earning her degree from Coastal Carolina Community College.
Jamie Burger is business manager at Surgery Center of Lancaster (Pa.), a position she's held for more than eight years. The surgery center includes 21 physician partners who practice otolaryngology, ophthalmology and orthopedics.
Kyle Burtnett serves as senior vice president of outpatient services for Tenet Healthcare. He oversees the development and management of Tenet's ASCs, urgent care centers and diagnostic centers. He joined Tenet in 2003 as an associate in its leadership development program and has filled several roles since then, including key work on quality and growth initiatives, before being named chief of staff to the CEO and, later, a vice president.
Matthew Bush, MD, is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and the board president of Central Maine Orthopedics, which has an ambulatory surgery center. Dr. Bush joined CMO in 2006. He focuses on hand and upper extremity surgery.
Charles A. Bush-Joseph, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine physician. He performs the majority of his cases at Rush SurgiCenter in Chicago. Dr. Bush-Joseph is head team physician for the Chicago White Sox and an associate team physician for the Chicago Bulls.
Jennifer Butterfield, MBA, RN, CNOR, is the CEO and administrator of Lakes Surgery Center in West Bloomfield, Mich. Prior to her current position, Ms. Butterfield was the chief nursing officer of the surgery center. She earned her nursing degree at the University of Detroit Mercy and completed her MBA at Baker College Center for Graduate Studies, based in Flint Township, Mich.
Paul Cadorette, CPC, CPC-H, CPC-P, CASCC, COSC, is director of education for mdStrategies. He is responsible for developing coding training seminars and educational webinars featured by ASCA with a focus on ASC coding. He is a member of the Academy of Professional Coders and lectured at several chapter conferences. He also provides training for large healthcare corporations.
Jason Cagle was named CFO of United Surgical Partners International in January 2013. He previously served as the company's senior vice president, general counsel and head of acquisitions. His experience includes corporate finance and capital markets activities. He previously served as a corporate attorney with Vinson & Elkins where he worked on USPI's initial public offering and high-yield bond issue.
Stephanie M. Campbell, RN, BSN, MSHA, CASC, is the director of perioperative services at Holzer Medical Center in Gallipolis, Ohio. She most recently served as the administrator and clinical director of Physicians Outpatient Surgery Center in Belpre, Ohio. Before assuming that position, Ms. Campbell was the ASC business manager at Holzer Clinic. She earned her BSN at the University of Phoenix and completed her MHA at New England College in Henniker, N.H.
Peter Caprise Jr., MD, is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine physician. Dr. Caprise is a physician-owner of The Surgery Center of Lynchburg (Va.) and practices with the Orthopaedic Center of Central Virginia in Lynchburg. He focuses on total joint replacement, sports medicine and shoulder arthroscopy.
Susan Carocari is the administrator of Merritt Healthcare-affiliated River Valley ASC in Norwich, Conn. She has more than 25 years of experience in the nursing profession. Ms. Carocari has been with River Valley ASC since 2013.
Robert Carrera is the president and CEO of Pinnacle III, a Lakewood, Colo.-based ambulatory surgery center management and development company. Mr. Carrera has spent 15 of his 20 years in the healthcare industry focused on the development of ASCs. He is a founding member of Colorado Ambulatory Surgery Center Association and previously served as the organization's vice president. Mr. Carrera has actively worked to affect Colorado, Utah and Minnesota legislation impacting ambulatory surgery centers.
John R. Caruso, MD, FACS, is a neurosurgeon and founder of Parkway Surgery Center in Hagerstown, Md. Dr. Caruso is a member of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. After completing his training, Dr. Caruso went into private practice with Neurosurgical Specialists in Hagerstown, Md.
Mark Casner, FACHE, is the CEO of aesthesis. He has nearly 30 years of healthcare executive and business operations experience, previously serving as CEO of Digirad and President/COO of DMS Imaging. He is a member of the board of directors for the Preventing Colorectal Cancer Organization and Centers for Handicapped Development Corporation.
Mauro Cecchetti is a vice president of operations at Constitution Surgery Centers in Greenwich, Conn. Previously, he served as director of clinical operations at Mid Manhattan Surgi-Center. He is also a surveyor for the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care.
Jesse Chamberlain is managing partner of Artisan Medical and has more than 15 years of experience in healthcare. He specializes in organizing strategic ASC partnership teams and in recruiting new surgeons to join ASCs. He previously managed Procter & Gamble's co-op merchandising agreements compliance program in Cleveland.
Frank J. Chapman, MBA, is chief operating officer for Ohio Gastroenterology Group in Columbus. Mr. Chapman also serves in various leadership roles with AAAHC and as a member of the Institute for Quality Improvement board of trustees. He is vice chair of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy practice management committee.
Margaret Chappell, RN, MS, CASC, is a senior vice president of operations with Ambulatory Surgical Centers of America. Ms. Chappell has more than 25 years of experience in all aspects of ASC administration. She has been involved in the development, remodel and expansion of three ASCs.
Susan Cheek, CPA, CHCC, CASC, is the administrator of Dallas Endoscopy Center and IV Anesthesia Services. Ms. Cheek oversees the operations of the five-suite ASC with more than 40 FTEs. She earned her bachelor of business administration, accounting degree from Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.
Rajiv Chopra is a principal with The C/N Group, which develops, owns and operates healthcare facilities. He has prior work experience in the banking and management consulting industries. Before joining The C/N Group, Mr. Chopra was a principal consultant in the strategic change practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting.
Raman Chopra is principal for The C/N Group. He oversees the firm's diagnostic imaging and hospitality operations and all marketing and technology related activities. Prior to joining The C/N Group he spent seven years in strategic consulting, with his last position as director of consulting services for Equifax.
Ravi Chopra serves as president and CEO of The C/N Group, which has completed healthcare-related projects totaling more than $75 million in capital expenditures. The company and its affiliated entities comprise an annual revenue base in excess of $20 million. He founded The C/N Group in 1980.
Arthur Christiano, MD, is surgical director of the New England Baptist Outpatient Care Center in partnership with Shields Health Care Group. In this role he is responsible for directing surgical operations and ensuring the quality, safety, efficiency, reliability, and affordability of surgical care. Dr. Christiano is a member of a number of professional societies, including the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine, New England Shoulder and Elbow Society, and is an Associate Member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery.
Richard N. Christie, MD, a board-certified OB/GYN physician, is lead executive vice president of business development with Ambulatory Surgical Centers of America. Dr. Christie has experience as an investor and physician with The Newport Beach (Calif.) Surgery Center. He also has experience in real estate development in Newport Beach and Palm Springs, Calif.
Sonja Christmas is administrator at Cy-Fair Surgery Center in Houston, a Nueterra Healthcare facility. The center averaged 60 procedures to 80 procedures per week in 2013 and its endoscopy room was the first in the area to transition to an EHR.
William J. Ciccone Jr., MD, is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon. He performs procedures at the Pinnacle III-affiliated Surgery Center at Lutheran in Wheat Ridge, Colo. Dr. Ciccone completed his arthroscopy and sports medicine fellowship at the University of California San Diego. He has served as a medical director for the Rocky Mountain State Games, States Games of America and United States Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif.
Carol Ciluffo is a vice president of revenue cycle management for Pinnacle III's billing company, Specialty Billing Solutions. Ms. Ciluffo has been with the company since 2008. Previously, she served as the regional business office operations coordinator for a national rehabilitation corporation, COO of a spine and rehabilitation practice and practice manger for a number of pain management practices.
Monica Cintado is the senior vice president for United Surgical Partners International, and she has been with USPI since 1998. Prior to joining USPI, Ms. Cintado provided development and operations support in the international group at HCA.
Joe Clark serves as executive vice president and chief development officer for Surgical Care Affiliates. Prior to SCA, he served as the president and CEO of HealthMark Partners, Inc. (a surgery center and surgical hospital provider), and as CEO of Response Oncology (an oncology provider). He worked previously for Humana and American Medical International (hospital providers), and earned a Bachelor of Arts from Dartmouth College.
Stacey Clark is administrative director of the Strictly Pediatrics Surgery Center in Austin, Texas. The surgery center, managed by ASD Management, is a joint venture between 25 surgeons and Seton Health System.
Joseph Colbert is administrator at North Coast Surgery Center in Oceanside, Calif., a joint venture between physician partners, Tri-City Medical Center and Surgical Care Affiliates. He has been administrator there for 13 years, negotiating the center's transition from freestanding to joint venture in 2010.
Brian Cole, MD, MBA, is a physician-owner of Gold Coast Surgicenter in Chicago. He is chairman of surgery at Rush Oak Park (Ill.) Hospital and section head of the Cartilage Research and Restoration Center at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. He practices with Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush.
P. Evalyn Cole, MSHA, CASC, is the administrator of Spine Surgery Center of Eugene (Ore.) and the chief executive officer of KeiperSpine, PC. Ms. Cole earned her bachelor's degree from Linfield College in McMinnville, Ore. She also holds a masters degree in health services administration and completed her thesis work on creating and launching ambulatory surgery centers.
Martha Colen, RN, MBA, CASC, is the administrator of Virginia Beach Ambulatory Surgery Center. The ASC was founded in 1989 and includes four operating rooms. The AAAHC-accredited facility has orthopedics, otolaryngology, urology, general surgery and gynecology along with other specialties.
Edward F. Coles, MD, FACP, FACG, is a board-certified gastroenterologist with Gastroenterology of San Marcos (Texas). Dr. Coles is a board member of New Braunfels Christus and Physicians Surgery Center. He also founded Central Texas Ambulatory Endoscopy Center in San Marcos, of which he currently serves as a managing partner.
Jennie Collins is administrator at Parkway Surgery Center in Hagerstown, Md., affiliated with Blue Chip Surgical Partners. She has held the position for more than six years. Physicians at the center are focused on spine surgery and pain management.
Daniel Connolly is the vice president of payer contracting for Pinnacle III. He performs all aspects of managed care contracting including contract negotiations, renegotiations, analysis, market analysis, implementation and compliance monitoring for ASCs in multiple markets.
Dan Corbett, MBA, CASC has been administrator at Reagan Street Surgery Center in Los Alamitos, Calif., for nearly one year. Previously, he served as administrator with Orangewood Surgical Center in Orange, Calif.
Glenn Cozen is one of the founding principals of Physicians Surgery Centers, which helps create and manage outpatient surgical facilities. He co-founded the company in 1999 and has more than 30 years of business experience in the healthcare industry. Throughout his career, he has served in numerous executive roles, including CFO of Southern California Orthopedic Institute in Van Nuys. He was instrumental in growing the group from a six-physician, one-location medical practice to an 18-physician, six-location group.
Cheryl Cunningham, RN, is the chair of the Ohio Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers and administrator of Findlay (Ohio) Surgery Center. Ms. Cunningham was elected as the organization's chair for a two-year period beginning in 2013. She has been the administrator of Findlay Surgery Center since 1999.
R. Blake Curd, MD, is the chairman of the Surgical Management Professionals board of directors. Dr. Curd completed his fellowship training at the Indiana Hand Center, one of the largest freestanding upper extremities surgery-driven ASCs. He also has experience serving as a manager for Medical Facilities Corporation.
Mary Dailey is Nueterra's senior vice president of clinical operations and corporate services. Ms. Dailey leads a team of clinicians who provide direction and oversight for all clinical operations at all center in the company's network. Ms. Dailey directs and oversees the overall development process for healthcare facilities across multiple regions, including facility designs, clinical guidelines, equipment planning and procurement, revenue cycle and supply chain management plus compliance with regulatory guidelines and accrediting agencies.
Tracie Dalton, MBA, CASC, began her role as administrator at Northeast Missouri ASC when she was 34 years old. Before assuming her current role at Northeast Missouri ASC, Ms. Dalton served as the controller and then CFO of a small, rural hospital for seven years. Northeast Missouri ASC opened in 2000 and is a joint venture between Hannibal (Mo.) Clinic and B & B Enterprises. "The greatest accomplishment at our center during the past three years is simple — continued teamwork. Our physicians and staff work together every step of the way," says Ms. Dalton.
Urfan Dar, MD, a board-certified anesthesiologist and pain management physician, serves as the medical director of Theda Oaks Surgical Center in San Antonio. Dr. Dar practices with Tri City Pain Associates, based in San Antonio. He has been in private practice in San Antonio since 1994.
Daniel Daube Jr., MD, FACS, is the medical director and president of the Surgical Center of Excellence in Panama City, Fla., which is affiliated with ASD Management. Dr. Daube, a board-certified ENT physician and fellowship-trained plastic and reconstructive surgeon, practices with the Gulf Coast Facial Plastics & ENT Center in Panama City.
D. Paul Davis, CPA, CMA, serves as the president and CEO of Broomfield, Colo.-based Amblitel, a full-service back office, business intelligence and ASC consulting company he founded in 2009. Mr. Davis has more than 25 years of healthcare industry experience and has held diverse senior leadership roles with ASC management companies.
Fred Davis, MD, is a co-founder of Michigan Pain Consultants and president of ProCare Systems. He earned his medical degree at Rush University's College of Medicine in Chicago and completed his residency at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
Lana Davis administrates Specialty Surgical Center of Thousand Oaks in Westlake, Calif., a joint venture between Symbion, 16 physician partners and two non-physician investors. She has been at the center for two years.
Brooke Day is the president of the Nebraska Association of Independent Ambulatory Centers and administrator of Hastings (Neb.) Surgical Center. Her previous experience includes CEO at Blake Woods Medical Park Surgery Center and director of administration at West Michigan Surgery Center. She earned her bachelor's degree from Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Mich, and completed her Masters of Health degree from Ohio University.
Jean Day, RN, CNOR, is the director of education for Pinnacle III. In this role, Ms. Day provides instruction on a wide variety of topics for the company's ASCs. Previously, she served as a Pinnacle III director of operations. Ms. Day is an active member of the Colorado Ambulatory Surgery Center Association, ASCA and AORN.
Gregory P. DeConciliis, CASC, is the administrator of Boston Out-Patient Surgical Suites in Waltham, Mass. Mr. DeConciliis has been a physician assistant in orthopedics since 1999. He left New England Baptist Hospital in 2004 to start up Boston Out-Patient Surgical Suites.
Richard DeHart is the principal partner and a co-founder of Pinnacle III and has more than 18 years of experience in the outpatient healthcare industry. He provides Pinnacle III's clients with expertise in strategic planning, development and management of ASCs, diagnostic imaging and physical rehabilitation services.
Thomas Deas Jr., MD, is board-certified in internal medicine and gastroenterology. Dr. Deas is a past president of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and has served as advisory board member for the GI Quality Improvement Consortium. He also serves as an SCA Physician Leadership Board Member.
Linda Deeming, RN, BSN, MBA/HCM, CNOR, CASC, is a director of operations for Pinnacle III and administrator of Foothills Surgery Center in Boulder, Colo. Ms. Deeming previously served as the administrator of Longmont Surgery Center and as associate vice president of consulting for Health Inventures. She earned her BSN from Regis University and her MBA/HCM from the University of Phoenix.
Randy Delcore, MD, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon, is the president and medical director of Cedar Orthopaedic Surgery Center in Cedar City, Utah. Dr. Delcore began his independent practice, which grew to include a freestanding imaging facility and onsite physical therapy services. He opened Cedar Orthopaedic Surgery Center in 2005.
Frank Dellacono, MD, is a board-certified ENT physician with Merritt Healthcare-affiliated River Valley Ambulatory Surgery Center in Norwich, Conn. Dr. Dellacono practices with the Ear Nose & Throat Associates of SECT. He has an interest in the surgical management of thyroid and sinus disease.
Joyce (Deno) Thomas, RN, is senior vice president of operations with Regent Surgical Health. In this role, Ms. Thomas oversees quality improvement for the entire company, works with Regent centers to resolve daily issues and serves as the company's corporate clinical director. Prior to joining Regent, Ms. Thomas as the executive director of Loveland (Colo.) Surgery Center.
Joseph DeMarco is administrator of the Philadelphia-based Thomas Jefferson University Hospital's surgery center, Jefferson Surgical Center at the Navy Yard. The center is also affiliated with The Rothman Institute and Nueterra Healthcare.
Joan Dentler is the president and CEO of Avanza Healthcare. Ms. Dentler founded ASC Strategies in 2007 and Outpatient Strategies in 2011. The two companies were consolidated under the brand Avanza Healthcare Strategies in 2013. Prior to founding Avanza, she worked in healthcare administration.
Meena Desai, MD, is the founder, president and CEO of Nova Anesthesia Professionals and a board-certified anesthesiologist. Nova Anesthesia Professionals provides physician and CRNA anesthesia services to ambulatory surgery centers, endoscopy centers and specialty hospitals.
Ann Deters is co-founder and CEO of Vantage Outsourcing, a cataract outsourcing service serving hospital and surgery center clients throughout the country. Vantage provides clients with ophthalmic equipment, trained ophthalmic surgical coordinator technicians, intraocular lens and other cataract surgery supplies and products. Vantage Outsourcing is recognized for saving healthcare organizations more than $93 million in capital and supply costs.
Douglas Dewey is the CEO of Murphy Healthcare, a Montvale, N.J., and New York-based ASC development, management and turnaround company founded by Robert Murphy. He focuses on strategic planning and sales. Mr. Dewey has years of experience in manufacturing, finance and public policy. Prior to joining Murphy Healthcare in 2012, he served as director at Barclays, a financial services provider, and a principal at Sanford C. Bernstein, a broker-dealer.
Jane Diezi RNC, MSHA, MSN is administrator of Charlotte Surgery Center in Port Charlotte, Fla. The center is an SCA affiliate.
Adena Dorsey, MBA, CPC, has combined experience in healthcare and sales, which provides her with the perfect mix of knowledge to lead the marketing arm of National Medical Billing Services. As the vice president of marketing, she is responsible for guiding the overall brand direction of National Medical, deepening the company's relationships within the ASC industry, and identifying new marketing opportunities. She implements tactical plans and marketing strategies while leading and managing all direct marketing, public relations, advertising and internal creative services.
Claudette Downs is the COO and administrator of AmSurg-affiliated Short Hills Surgery Center in Millburn, N.J. Ms. Downs previously served as the director of operations – northeast for Salus Surgical Group. She earned her BSN from the College of New Jersey in Ewing Township.
Michael Doyle is CEO of Surgery Partners, where he is responsible for overseeing the firm's day-to-day operation and continued growth. He has experience developing and managing hospitals, surgical centers, rehabilitation facilities and imaging centers. He previously spent 10 years with a large corporate healthcare organization. Throughout his career, Mr. Doyle has been a hands-on manager with a wealth of healthcare knowledge, and he applies his practical experience of managing and developing healthcare services to his current position.
Goran Dragolovic serves as a senior vice president of operations at Surgical Care Affiliates. Previously, he served as executive vice president and COO for Forest Health Services (a surgical hospital provider), and he served in executive positions at AmSurg and Symbion (surgery center providers). Mr. Dragolovic earned a Bachelor of Science and an MBA from Pepperdine University.
Barbara P. Draves, CASC, is owner and administrator at The Surgery Center in Middleburg Heights, Ohio, and serves on the board of directors for CASC. The center was founded in 1984 and includes 23-hour stay capabilities.
Ronald A. Duperroir is a principal of Clarity Health and Clarity Government Services. He has 24 years of operations experience, specifically in resource loading, resource leveling, scope preparation, client relationships, cost avoidance, continuous design improvement and conducting executive status meetings and client reviews. He earned a bachelor's degree in public policy from the University of Oregon and a master's degree in healthcare administration from Baylor University.
Vicki Edelman, RN, is administrator at Blue Bell (Pa.) Surgery Center, a position she's held for more than six years. She has been a nurse for more than 30 years and previously held leadership roles at a community hospital.
Jessica Edmiston leads an outstanding audit team at National Medical Billing Services, one of the largest ASC revenue cycle management companies in the country. She has been a Certified Professional Coder for more than a decade and possesses a Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Missouri in St. Louis as well as the highly acclaimed Certified ASC Coder (CASCC™) Credential. Ms. Edmiston is also an approved ICD-10-CM trainer through AHIMA.
Scott Edwards is administrator at North MS Ambulatory Surgery Center in Tupelo, M.S., Center for Digestive Health and North MS Pain Management. He has more than 20 years of experience in the healthcare field. He serves on the Mississippi ASC Association board.
Thomas Eickmann, MD, is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with The Surgery Center at Lutheran in Wheat Ridge, Colo., which is a Pinnacle III center. Dr Eickmann practices with Cornerstone Orthopedics in Denver.
Viva Elia serves as a Vice President of Operations in the Southern California area for Surgical Care Affiliates. Ms. Elia has 11 years of experience in the ambulatory surgery center industry and works with health systems, medical groups and independent physicians in the San Diego and Inland Empire markets. She has performed turnarounds of surgery centers, a center merger, health system joint ventures and numerous physician syndications.
Teva Elier joined Hamot Surgery Center (now UPMC Hamot Surgery Center) in 2006 and worked as the surgery center's purchasing manager and human resources coordinator for three years. In 2009, she was named administrative director of the surgery center. Prior to joining Hamot Surgery Center, she worked at Vantage Healthcare Network as the director of materials management.
Stephanie Ellis, RN, CPC, is the founder and president of Brentwood, Tenn.-based Ellis Medical Consulting, a firm that focuses on ASC reimbursement issues, coding and business office operations. Prior to founding Ellis Medical Consulting, she worked as an operations manager at the Care Management Network.
Ezra Erb, RN, is a group administrator with Surgical Care Affiliates. In this role, he oversees operations of Aloha Surgical Center in Kahului, Hawaii, and Surgicare of Hawaii in Honolulu. Prior to taking over leadership of both ASCs, Mr. Erb was the administrator of Aloha Surgical Center. He has been with SCA for two years, leading his teams to continual new heights in both volume and profitability year-after-year.
Angela Erosenko has been administrator and CEO at CMMP Surgical Center in Jefferson, Mo., for nearly 15 years. Before then, she was business office manager at the center for three years. '
Bruce B. Ettinger, MD, is a board member of the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association. Dr. Ettinger is a board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist. He serves as an independent consultant with Ettinger Consulting.
Gayle Evans, RN, BSN, MBA, CNOR, CASC, is president of Continuum Healthcare Consultants, a firm that specializes in the planning, development and operation of ASCs. With more than 25 years of multispecialty surgery experience, Ms. Evans is a seasoned professional with management and operations experience at several leading medical facilities, including a 12-room surgery department, mobile lithotripsy services and the first U.S. research unit for biliary lithotripsy.
Jim Evely has been at BRASS Surgery Center in Baton Rouge, La., since June of 2013. The center is affiliated with Surgical Care Affiliates. Before his time there he spent nearly a decade with DaVita, a dialysis treatment and support system company.
Cheryl Ezerskis, MLT, CPA, CASC, is the executive director of West Parkway Ambulatory Surgery Center in Pompton Plains, N.J. Prior to her work at West Parkway ASC, Ms. Ezerskis was a consultant interim administrator for Journal Square Surgical Center in Jersey City, N.J., and a vice president of operations with ASCOA. She earned her bachelor's degree in accounting from Rutgers University in Piscataway Township, N.J.
Bruce Feldman, MS, CPPM, has been administrator and director of operations at Island Endoscopy Center/Island Gastroenterology Consultants in West Islip, N.Y., for more than one year. Previously, he was administrator and director of operations at the Surgicare Ambulatory Surgery Center of New York.
Robin Fowler, MD, is the chairman and medical director of Interventional Management Services, a physician-owned ASC management and development company based in Atlanta, Ga. He also served as the medical director of the Interventional Spine and Pain Management Center. During the course of his career, Dr. Fowler has performed more than 5,000 pain management procedures.
James L. Fox Jr., MD, is the founding leader of the Ravine Way Surgery Center in Glenview, Ill. Dr. Fox, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon, practices at Illinois Bone & Joint Institute. He has a clinical focus on general orthopedic surgery, arthroscopy, fracture care and orthopedic oncology.
Richard E. Francis Jr., is chairman and CEO of Symbion, which was sold to Surgery Partners earlier this year. Under his leadership, Symbion became a publicly held company and an ASC chain with nearly 100 successful surgery centers.
Brandon Frazier is the vice president of business development at Surgical Care Affiliates. He previously served as vice president of development and acquisitions for Ambulatory Surgical Centers of America and had a focus on development of de novo ambulatory surgery centers and the acquisition of existing centers. Before joining ASCOA, Mr. Frazier worked at Smith & Nephew with an exclusive focus on ASCs.
Jim Freund is vice president of business development for Medical Web Technologies One Medical Passport. He was previously the senior vice president of business development of GENASCIS. He is a 20-plus year ASC industry veteran who has worked with more than 600 ASCs. He has experience directing sales, strategic planning and marketing.
Ryan Fulcher is vice president of medical operations for Laser Spine Institute. Mr. Fulcher oversees the day-to-day operations of all of Laser Spine Institute’s five facilities and future facilities in the Midwest. Mr. Fulcher has a unique lens into the patient process at Laser Spine Institute as he started as a patient care coordinator in 2009. He eventually transitioned into the role of director of medical operations and then to vice president.
Amy Gagliardi is Regent Surgical Health's corporate purchasing director. Ms. Gagliardi is responsible for all aspects of supply chain management, inventory, purchasing and system integration for all of the company's ASCs and hospitals. She has more than 15 years of experience in healthcare. Ms. Gagliardi earned her bachelor's degree in finance from Syracuse (N.Y.) University.
Michael Galvin is the administrator of The Christ Hospital Spine Surgery Center in Cincinnati. The center is managed by United Surgical Partners International and two years ago Mr. Galvin received the 2012 CEO Award. Mr. Galvin has been the center's administrator for nearly five years.
Ralph A. Gambardella, MD, is president of Kerlan-Jobe Surgery Center and chairman and president of Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic in Los Angeles. He completed a sports medicine fellowship at Kerlan-Jobe and is a former president of the Association of Major League Team Physicians.
Christine Gambrel, RN, BSN, is administrator of the Surgery Center of Rockville (Md.). The surgery center is affiliated with Ambulatory Surgical Center of America and has eight physician-owners. The center offers ENT, general surgery and pain management procedures.
Melodie Garrobo, CASC, is the administrator of Golden Ridge Surgery Center in Golden, Colo. Ms. Garrobo has been with the ASC for more than 15 years. She played a key role in establishing the Colorado Ambulatory Surgery Center Association. She also served on Colorado Division of Labor and Employment task force.
Nap Gary is the COO of Regent Surgical Health, where he is responsible for all operations and physician relations at the company's centers. He is also a past president of the board of directors for ASCA. During his more than 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry, he has served as senior vice president and assistant corporate counsel for HealthSouth. Prior to his entry into healthcare, he spent time at the Haskell Slaughter Young and Rediker law firm.
Ann Geier, MS, RN, CNOR, CASC, is the vice president – clinical informatics – surgery with SourceMedical Solutions. She has been a member of the ASC Quality Collaborations Expert Group since 2006. She has also become been appointed to represent the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association Foundation as a liaison with the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care.
David S. George, MD, is the medical director of George, Strickler and Lazer, The Eye MDs and the Physicians Outpatient Surgery Center in Belpre, Ohio. Dr. George is a past board member of the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association and a current board member of the Outpatient Ophthalmic Surgery Society.
Gregory George, MD, PhD, is a founding principal of SurgCenter Development. Dr. George, an ophthalmologist, received his medical degree and PhD in ocular physiology from Duke University in Durham, N.C. SurgCenter Development has developed more than 100 physician-owned ASCs.
William Gilbert is the vice president of marketing at AdvantEdge Healthcare Solutions. In that role, he oversees product management and marketing. AHS applies technology to maximize client revenue and decrease client costs.
Jackie Ginter is the administrator of GNS Surgery Center in Athens, Ga. The center focuses on outpatient spine and neurosurgical care. GNS Surgery Center is affiliated with Blue Chip Surgical Center Partners.
Scott Glaser, MD, DABIPP, is a co-founder and president of Pain Specialists of Greater Chicago. He has served on the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians national board and held positions in the Illinois Society of Interventional Pain Physicians. Dr. Glaser is board-certified in pain management.
Tamar Glaser, RN, is the president and co-founder of MMX Healthcare, which includes the solutions AccredAbility and ManageMyASC. Ms. Glaser is also a Medicare surveyor for the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities. Prior to MMX Healthcare, she was the CEO and founder of Accreditation Services.
Eric Gleichman is chief development officer of Nueterra Healthcare. He previously served as executive vice president and chief development officer for Foundation Surgery Affiliates. He has more than 17 years of progressively responsible healthcare experience on both the payer and provider sides, most notably in strategic development, contract negotiations and mergers and acquisitions.
Edward Glinski, DO, MBA, CPE, is the medical director at Heritage Eye Surgicenter of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City and a specialist in refractive and cataract surgery. Dr. Glinksi earned his medical degree from Kansas City College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed his ophthalmology training at Grandview Hospital in Dayton, Ohio.
John J. Goehle, CASC, MBA, CPA, founded Ambulatory Healthcare Strategies alongside Vito Quatela, MD, where he is a partner and COO. During his career, he has written several books and frequently speaks on topics related to the surgery center industry.
Marc Goff is the COO of U.S. operations for Nueterra. Ms. Goff is responsible for the management and operations of numerous Nueterra facilities across the country. She has more than 30 years of healthcare experience in fields including acute care surgical operations and the management of ambulatory surgery centers, imaging centers, rehabilitation centers and specialty hospitals.
Kyle Goldammer is the CEO of Partners Medical Company, a healthcare consulting company based in Sioux Falls, S.D. He has nearly three decades of experience in the healthcare industry. Prior to Partners Medical Company, he served as CFO of a community hospital and long-term care facility, CFO of Sioux Falls Surgical Hospital, senior vice president of finance at Surgical Management Professionals and worked in the nonprofit sector.
Doug Golwas is the senior vice president of ambulatory surgery center sales at Medline Industries, a company focused on manufacturing and distributing healthcare supplies. He has previous leadership experience at Berkshire and Kimberly-Clark. Mr. Golwas also served as vice president, national accounts for Medline.
Matthew Gornet, MD, is a board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon. Dr. Gornet is a member of the governing board at the St. Louis Spine and Orthopedic Surgery Center in Town and Country, Mo. Dr. Gornet completed his spine fellowship training at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.
David Grainger, MD, MPH, is a board-certified OB/GYN physician and medical director of Cypress Surgery Center in Wichita, Kan. Dr. Grainger is a professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology, as well as director of the reproductive endocrinology division of the University of Kansas School of Medicine in Wichita.
Diana Grasso is the director and director of nursing at Gloucester County Surgery Center in Mullica Hill, N.J. The surgery center, managed by ASD Management, is a joint venture between physician partners and Underwood Memorial Hospital. Prior to joining the surgery center team, Ms. Grasso worked at Underwood Memorial Hospital for 32 years.
Donna Greene is a vice president of acquisitions and development with Ambulatory Surgical Centers of America. Ms. Greene has overseen the acquisition and development of more than 250 healthcare facilities during her career. She has more than 20 years of experience in the healthcare field.
Julie Greene is the CEO of Muskegon (Mich.) Surgery Center, a joint venture between Mercy Health Partners and physician-owners. Ms. Greene has been CEO of the center for more than five years. She has also served as board director of the Michigan Ambulatory Surgery Association.
Kelly Grier is a senior vice president of business operations with ASD Management. During the course of her career, she has managed more than 30 surgery centers. Prior to joining ASD Management, she was director of reimbursement for Amedisys.
Nicole Gritton, RN, MSN/MBA-HC, LHRM, serves as Laser Spine Institute's vice president of nursing and ASC operations, where she manages the nursing department and the ASC operations across the organization's four facilities nationwide. Ms. Gritton oversees nearly 80 nurses and has taken an active role in streamlining the nursing infrastructure for infection prevention, quality assurance, performance improvement and risk management.
Texas Gustavson serves as a Group Director of Clinical Services for Surgical Care Affiliates. Prior to SCA, Texas was a Regional Assistant Vice Present for UHS, Inc., and was Operations Director for Prexus Health overseeing operations in numerous ASCs and surgical hospitals. She is an active surveyor for AAAHC and Accreditation Association for Hospitals/Health Systems and sits on the accreditation and standards committee for AAHHS.
Debbie Hall, RN, MBA, is the administrator of High Plains Surgery Center in Cheyenne, Wyo. The center is managed by Regent Surgical Health. Ms. Hall has served as the center's administrator since 2002.
David Hamilton is the president and CEO of Mnet Financial, which provides healthcare collections services for ASCs, imaging centers and outpatient hospitals. Since 1999, he has assisted more than 300 facilities with collections.
Marilyn Hanchett, RN, is the infection control technical lead at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. She has also served as senior director, professional practice at the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology. She is dual-certified in infection control and healthcare quality and has spoken and written on the topic of infection control on numerous occasions. Before joining APIC, Ms. Hanchett served at CMS as infection control technical lead for the ASC program.
Kenneth Hancock is president and chief development officer of Meridian Surgical Partners. He is the former executive vice president, chief development officer and co-founder of Surgical Alliance Corporation, a specialty surgical hospital company. He has more than 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry and also co-founded OrthoLink Physicians, which was eventually acquired by United Surgical Partners International. He is a published author and frequently presents at industry events.
John H. Hajjar, MD, FACS, MBA, founded Surgem, a development and management company that has equity in and manages surgical centers. Dr. Hajjar is now chairman and president of Surgem. He earned his medical degree at Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C.
Tracey Harbour, BSN, RN, is the administrator of the Surgery Center of Pinehurst (N.C). She has served as a Nueterra administrator for nearly six years. The surgery center is AAAHC accredited and has six operating rooms and two pain procedure rooms.
Laura Harding is the administrative director of Physicians Surgery Center at Alvarado in San Diego. Ms. Harding oversees all business aspects of the surgery center including coding, billing, accounts receivable and payable, human resources and corporate compliance. She earned her degree from Akron (Ohio) University.
Judy Harless, MBA, CASC, is the administrator of SMI Surgery Center in San Diego. Ms. Harless is the secretary of the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association and an active member of the California Ambulatory Surgery Center Association. She is also an ASCA member representative on the Joint Commission's professional and technical advisory committee.
Andrew Hayek serves as president and CEO of Surgical Care Affiliates and is a member of the SCA board of directors. Prior to SCA, Mr. Hayek served as president of a division of DaVita Inc., a renal dialysis provider, and as president and COO of Alliance Healthcare Services Inc., a diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy provider. Mr. Hayek also worked at Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., a private equity firm, and the Boston Consulting Group, a strategy consulting firm, prior to joining SCA.
Bill Hazen, RN, has been administrator and CEO at The Surgery Center at Pelham in Greer, S.C., since 2004, when he helped open the center. Previously, he served as director of special projects at Spartanburg (S.C.) Regional Medical Center.
Christy Heald is the senior vice president of business development with Surgery Partners. In her role, she is responsible for business operations such as physician recruitment and syndication, de novo development, acquisitions and joint ventures. Ms. Heald has degrees in finance and marketing from Stetson University in DeLand, Fla., and an econometrics degree from Oxford University in the United Kingdom.
Gretchen Heinze Townshend, JD, is a partner with Chicago law firm McGuireWoods. Ms. Heinze Townshend has represented ASCs, medical practices, hospitals and various healthcare providers in sales and acquisitions, joint ventures, general corporate matters, regulatory matters, contracting and more. She earned her law degree from the University of Notre Dame (Ind.) Law School.
Josh Helms is senior vice president of patient care services at Laser Spine Institute. Mr. Helms has been a part of the LSI team almost since the beginning, joining in 2008. He was noticed early on at Laser Spine Institute and moved through the ranks. Mr. Helms uses his strong team building skills to inspire and encourage his team to constantly strive to give the best patient care possible.
Steve Henry, CASC, MBA, joined the Surgery Center at Liberty (Mo.) Hospital as administrator in February 2012. During his first six months, he had the opportunity to work with talented physicians and a caring and compassionate staff, which led to a 96 percent patient satisfaction rating for 2012. He began his career in market research for a well-known ASC management and development company before earning his MBA in healthcare administration.
Christine Henry Musa performs due diligence on Regent Surgical Health's new business opportunities and leads strategic initiatives for Regent centers. Prior to joining Regent, she developed strategic marketing plans and commercialization strategies for products in clinical development as a Senior Consultant at Navigant. She also managed a $15 million marketing budget, while concurrently launching products with U.S. sales of $270 million as a Brand Manager at Novartis Pharmaceuticals.
Edward P. Hetrick, the founder and president of Facility Development & Management, has more than 30 years of experience in the healthcare industry. Before founding FDM, he was a vice president at a firm that specialized in reimbursement consulting for physicians and outpatient hospital accounts. Mr. Hetrick and FDM have developed more than 50 surgery centers nationally and managed numerous centers on an ongoing basis. Mr. Hetrick earned a dual Masters' degrees Business and Public Health from Columbia University in New York City.
Carol Hiatt, BSN, RN, LHRM, CASC, is the owner of Surgery Center Consulting Services in Ocala, Fla., and a consultant on the AAAHC subsidiary Healthcare Consultants International team. Ms. Hiatt specializes in building effective risk management programs for surgical facilities and emphasizes the importance of risk management for surgery centers. She earned her nursing degree from the University of Central Florida in Orlando. She is also an AAAHC surveyor and licensed risk manager in Florida.
Heather Hilgendorf-Cooley, MBA, has served as administrator of Springs Park Surgery Center in Davenport, Iowa, since May 2013. The surgery center is accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care and CMS. Established in 1986, the center includes urologists, ophthalmologists, general surgeons, anesthesiologists and advanced nurse practitioners. "Success breeds success, and we are continually looking at opportunities that will take our ASC to a new level, while encouraging growth, increasing satisfaction and providing quality patient care," says Ms. Hilgendorf-Cooley.
Tracy Hoeft-Hoffman, RN, MSN, MBA, CASC, is administrator at Fremont (Neb.) Health Surgery Center, a position she has held for more than two years. She previously served as administrator of Hastings Surgical Center. She has more than 20 years of experience in healthcare and has been involved in the Nebraska Association of Independent Ambulatory Centers.
Jeremy Hogue, JD, MBA, is co-founder, president and CEO of Sovereign Healthcare, which operates surgery centers in California and Arizona, as well as provides management services for physician group practices. He previously served as vice president of Audax Group, a $1 billion private equity investment firm where he launched and ran the firm's West Coast office. He also previously consulted with numerous businesses and was an associate in the investment banking group of Lehman Brothers. Mr. Hogue received his JD from Harvard Law School in Boston and his MBA from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.
Christopher A. Holden has been AmSurg's president, CEO and director since October 2007. The company focuses on managing and developing 3,000- to 4,000-square-foot single specialty centers. He has more than 21 years of experience, primarily with multi-facility and multi-market healthcare management. The company's growth has accelerated through acquisitions during his time with AmSurg. The company acquired anesthesia provider Sheridan Healthcare for $2.35 billion.
Bill Horne is CEO of Laser Spine Institute. Laser Spine Institute's flagship facility is in Tampa, Fla., and it has grown to include four other surgical facilities in Scottsdale, Philadelphia, Oklahoma City and Cleveland, with facilities in St. Louis and Cincinnati set to open in the coming weeks. Before joining Laser Spine Institute, Mr. Horne founded Club Operations and Property Management, a leading management company for country, city and yacht clubs.
Erika Horstmann is a director of operations for Pinnacle III and the administrator of Orland Park (Ill.) Surgery Center. Her management skills have created an efficient, engaged staff and a positive surgery center environment. Ms. Horstmann holds an MSN from Loyola University in Chicago.
William Horton, JD, is a partner with law firm Jones Walker. He focuses on representing healthcare organizations in issues such as joint ventures, mergers, acquisitions, regulatory compliance and more.
Karen Howey serves as both administrator and CEO of the Macomb (Mich.) Township ASC. She has served in the positions for more than two years. Previously, she was center director for United Surgical Partners International-affiliated Matrix Surgery Center for more than six years. Macomb Township ASC is affiliated with Nueterra Healthcare and Royal Oak, Mich.-based Beaumont Health System.
Tom Hui is president and CEO of HST Pathways. He has more than 25 years of experience in IT and founded the Surgicenter Information Systems in 1989. By 2001 when SIS was sold to SourceMedical Solutions, the company had more than 600 surgery center installations throughout North America. Mr. Hui served as senior vice president and chief technology officer for SourceMedical before founding HST.
Angela Humphreys, JD, is a member of Nashville, Tenn.-based firm Bass, Berry & Sims. She has led healthcare transactions valued at more than $14 billion. Ms. Humphreys' practice includes healthcare finance, contracting, regulatory matters, operational matters, mergers, acquisitions and more.
Jennifer Hunara, MHA, MBA, has managed the Surgery Center of Allentown (Pa.), a large multispecialty ASC and AmSurg facility, since 2007. She began her healthcare career at the age of 24 as a business manager of perioperative services at Lehigh Valley Health Network, headquartered in Allentown, Pa., and then moved on to the role of executive director of surgical services for Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton (N.J.).
Ann Hurd is director of nursing and administrator at the Advanced Surgery Institute in Santa Rosa, Calif., which is a partnership between Regent Surgical Health and Santa Rosa (Calif.) Memorial Hospital. She practices as a staff nurse at the hospital, which is part of the St. Joseph Health System in Eureka, Calif.
Andrea Hyatt, CASC, is president of the Maryland Ambulatory Surgery Association and has served on the organization's board for more than eight years. She is also administrator of Dulaney Eye Institute in Towson, Md. Ms. Hyatt helped open the ophthalmic ASC in 1995. Ms. Hyatt has lobbied on behalf of MASA and on Capitol Hill for ASCA.
Richard Hynes, MD, FACS, is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and fellowship-trained spine surgeon. He performs procedures at the Blue Chip Surgical Center Partners-affiliated Crane Creek Surgery Center in Melbourne, Fla. Dr. Hynes is president of The B.A.C.K Center and director of the non-profit charity TZEDAKA, which helps low-income patients gain access to medical care.
John Jachimiak, DPM, FACFAS, is a podiatric surgeon with a focus on sports medicine, biomechanics, pediatrics and wound care. He performs procedures at Boulder (Colo.) Surgery Center, an affiliate of Pinnacle III. Dr. Jachimiak practices with Boulder County Foot and Ankle Care.
Thomas Jacobs is CEO and co-founder of MedHQ, a business office solutions provider for outpatient healthcare businesses. As CEO, he has led MedHQ from start-up to a profitable company that operates in 10 states.
Richard K. Jacques is president and CEO of Covenant Surgical Partners, and has more than 19 years of experience in the ASC industry, including senior management positions with both public and private healthcare companies. He was previously president and director of Surgical Health Group, a developer and manager of single and limited specialty surgery centers. He has also previously served as vice president of business development for AmSurg, where he helped develop a system and methodology the company used to acquire or develop almost 100 ASCs during his time there.
Debbie James is president and CEO of Vivere Health, a company that builds and manages multispecialty ASCs as well as laboratories for comprehensive reproductive health. Ms. James most recently served as COO for Vivere. Since Ms. James started with Vivere in November 2013, the company has been named one of the top 25 fastest growing private companies in Nashville and the company’s ASCs and laboratories are exceeding the national goals for quality, safety and patient satisfaction.
Marion Jenkins, PhD, is chief strategy officer at 3t Systems. He previously founded and served as CEO of QSE Technologies, an IT systems integrator in Denver, which joined 3t Systems. He also serves on the Colorado Regional Health Information Organization Technology Advisory Committee.
Beth Ann Johnson, RN, is vice president of clinical systems for Blue Chip Surgery Center Partners. She joined Blue Chip from LCA Vision where she was vice president of operations responsible for the growth of the ophthalmic surgery center business. She was previously with Aetna as a director of provider relations, recruitment and contracting.
Donald R. Johnson II, MD, is the founder of Southeastern Spine Institute and Ambulatory Surgery Center in Mount Pleasant, S.C. Dr. Johnson worked for more than 20 years to bring all the resources needed for a comprehensive spine center under one roof. Dr. Johnson completed three spine surgery fellowships within 18 months.
Jen Johnson, CFA, is a partner in professional service agreements with VMG Health. She previously served in the Forensic and Litigation Services department of KPMG, was a finance professor at the University of North Texas and did consulting work in business valuation, financial projections and operational systematizations for various companies.
Jason Jones is the vice president of patient experience with Laser Spine Institute. Mr. Jones oversees all training, education and organization development across Laser Spine Institute’s nationwide footprint. A few examples of the programs Mr. Jones' leads include Laser Spine Institute University, employee orientation and the quality assurance programs. Mr. Jones is responsible for the delivery of all patient satisfaction and engagement initiatives and plays a crucial role in executing the patient experience mission by identifying opportunities for process improvement.
Milla Jones is vice president of communication and government relations for United Surgical Partners International. Ms. Jones is responsible for coordinating and managing state and federal advocacy efforts for the company. She has been an active board member of the Texas ASC Society since 2005.
Sandra Jones, MBA, MS, CASC, FHFMA, is the executive vice president and COO of ASD Management. Prior to assuming her role at ASD Management, Ms. Jones was president of Ambulatory Strategies, and a regional managed care coordinator, risk manager and facility administrator for Premier Ambulatory Systems. She was a CEO and COO at for-profit hospitals and case management director for several hospitals and clinics. She is credentialed in quality improvement, a licensed risk manager and expert in regulatory compliance.
Kylie Kaczor, MSN-RN, CPHRM, is the executive director of one of Laser Spine Institute's newest locations in St. Louis. In her role, she will be responsible for the facility's staff and oversight of patient care. Ms. Kaczor joined the Laser Spine Institute team as a Registered Nurse and was soon promoted to Associate Executive Director, before being appointed Executive Director.
James Kamps, RN, MBA, CNOR, is the administrator of the Surgery Center at Tanasbourne in Hillsboro, Ore., which is a joint venture between Providence Health Systems in Portland, Ore. Previously, he served as administrator at an independent multispecialty surgery center, Wilshire Surgery Center, near Portland.
Emilie Keene is the administrator of Parkridge Surgery Center in Columbia, S.C. She earned her MHA at the University of South Carolina in Columbia and was promoted to administrator just eight months after joining Parkridge as an assistant to the vice president and administrator. During her time with the surgery center, she successfully recruited eight surgeons, increased net revenues by $1 million, increased employee satisfaction scores by 30 percent and patient satisfaction scores by 4 percent. She also led the ASC through the accreditation process and identified cost savings of nearly $200,000 per year.
I. Naya Kehayes, MPH, is the managing principal and founder of EVEIA Health Consulting & Management. Ms. Kehayes specializes in managed care contract negotiations and analysis for ASCs, physician practices/clinics, surgical hospitals and health systems affiliates. She has served as the past president of the Washington Ambulatory Surgery Center Association and currently serves as the co-chair of its Payment Policy Committee.
Donald J. Keller, MD, a board-certified ophthalmologist, practices with Boulder (Colo.) Eye Surgeons. Dr. Keller performs procedures at the Pinnacle III-affiliated Foothills Surgery Center in Boulder, Colo.
Christopher Kelly is executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary for U.S. Anesthesia Partners. Previously, Mr. Kelly was senior vice president and general counsel for AmSurg.
Kathy Kelly, RN, MSN, CNOR, is the administrator of Nueterra-affiliated Viewmont Surgery in Hickory, N.C. She is responsible for managing and organizing all aspects of the facility's operations. Before joining VSC, Kelly spent more than 13 years at Catawba Valley Medical Center as a scheduling coordinator, operating room RN and surgical tech, and has prior administrative experience at the Surgical Institute of Michigan.
Wendy Kelley, CASC, has been administrator at Cool Springs Surgery Center in Nashville, Tenn., for nearly nine years. The multispecialty center was founded in 2000 as a freestanding, five-OR facility.
Steven Kern, MD, FACS, is medical board chair of the North Memorial Ambulatory Surgery Center at Maple Grove (Minn.). Dr. Kern also serves as a board member of the Surgical Management Professionals management committee. Dr. Kern, a board-certified general surgeon, practices with Specialists in General Surgery in Maple Grove.
Jonathan Kim, MD, is an obstetrics and gynecology physician and a fellowship-trained reproductive endocrinologist. In addition to performing procedures at the Vivere Health-affiliated Piney Point Surgery Center in Houston, Dr. Kim also serves as the director of medical education at the Houston Fertility Institute.
Lawrence Kim, MD, a board-certified gastroenterologist, became the first gastroenterologist to join the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care board of directors in 2004. He also serves as Community Private Practice Councillor for the American Gastroenterological Association. Dr. Kim practices with South Denver Gastroenterology.
Jenifer Kimbrough, CPA, is the vice president of compliance and audit at Surgical Care Affiliates. Prior to SCA, Ms. Kimbrough served as a senior vice president of investor relations at Regions Financial Corporation and as a senior manager of audit services at Ernst & Young. She is a former National President of the American Woman's Society of CPAs and a former member of the AICPA's Women’s Initiatives Executive Committee.
Janie Kinsey, RN, CASC, is the administrator of St. Luke's South Surgery Center in Overland Park, Kan. Previously, she served as the nurse manger of the Surgery Center of Leadwood (Kan.). Ms. Kinsey is also the president of the Kansas Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers.
Susan Kizirian, BSN, RN, MBA, is the principal of Kizirian Health Care Consulting. She has more than 30 years of experience in healthcare. She has also served as COO of Physician Partners of America as well as COO of Ambulatory Surgical Centers of America. She is one of the founders and lifetime president emeritus of the Florida Society of Ambulatory Surgical Centers and past president of the Ambulatory Surgery Management Society of the Medical Group Management Association.
Tony Knapp is a principal at Physicians Surgery Centers, which helps create and manage outpatient surgical facilities. During his tenure at Citicapital and its predecessor, Copelco Capital, he originated funding for more than 40 start-up ambulatory surgery centers. He has also structured financing for stand-alone endoscopy centers, diagnostic imaging centers, fertility clinics, large group practices, radiation therapy centers, a start-up Medicaid HMO and other profitable outpatient facilities.
Rikki Knight, RN, BHS, MHA, is executive director and administrator at Lakeview Surgery Center in West Des Moines, Iowa. She began as director of clinical services at the center and has been executive director and administrator of the center for more than a year. She has more than 25 years of experience in the ASC industry. She is also president-elect for the board of the Iowa ASC Association.
Lawrence Kosinski, MD, MBA, AGAF, FACG, is president of Elgin (Ill.) Gastroenterology Endoscopy Center and a managing partner of the Illinois Gastroenterology Group. Dr. Kosinski is also the American Gastroenterological Association Practice Management & Economics Committee chair. He also serves as a member of the advisory board of the Illinois Health Information Exchange.
Catherine W. Kowalski, RN, is the executive vice president and COO of Meridian Surgical Partners. Ms. Kowalski has more than 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry. She is the former executive vice president of operations and co-founder of Surgical Alliance Corporation. She also co-founded and served as vice president of operations and hospital/ancillary services of OrthoExcel.
Donald Kramer, MD, MBA, a board-certified anesthesiologist, founded Palladium for Surgery-Houston, the cornerstone of Northstar Healthcare. Dr. Kramer has founded a number of other healthcare companies, including Omniplus Healthcare, Access Mediquip and Foundation Surgical Affiliates. He is now the CEO of Northstar Healthcare.
Debbie Krawczyk is administrator at Summit Surgery Center in Beverly Hills, Calif. She was previously office manager at Beverly Hills (Calif.) Surgery Center.
Richard Kube, MD, is a fellowship-trained spine surgeon and founder of Prairie SurgiCare, which opened in April 2012. He led the project from blue prints to construction and full accreditation in three months as an addition to the practice he founded, Prairie Spine and Pain Institute. In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Kube serves as a faculty member at the University of Illinois School of Medicine in Peoria and sits on the board of directors for the American Board of Spine Surgery.
Brent Lambert, MD, FACS, is a board-certified ophthalmologist and founding principle of Ambulatory Surgical Centers of America. He spearheads business development at ASCOA. Prior to founding ASCOA, Dr. Lambert established three ASCs, including one of the first surgery centers in New England.
Luke Lambert, MBA, CFA, CASC, is CEO of Ambulatory Surgical Centers of America, before which he served as CFO for five years at the organization. He joined ASCOA in 1997 and previously worked for Smith Barney in international sell-side equity research. He has also worked at Booz, Allen & Hamilton and Ernst & Young in venture exploration and reengineering business processes. Mr. Lambert completed his MBA from Columbia University in New York City and was among the first to earn the CASC designation in 2002. ASCOA currently operates 32 facilities across the country.
Diane Lampron, BSN, CASC, is a director of operations for Pinnacle III, as well as administrator of The Surgery Center at Lutheran in Wheat Ridge Colo., and Peak One Surgery Center in Frisco, Colo. She has developed new programs at each of her facilities and is actively involved in the continued improvement of clinical operations. Prior to joining Pinnacle III, Ms. Lampron was the manager of the surgery service line for Centura Health's Porter Hospital.
Barry Landry, MD, FACS, is the president and medical director of the ASD Management-affiliated Bayou Region Surgery Center in Thibodaux, La. Dr. Landry is a board-certified general surgeon. He is also on the staff of Thibodaux Regional Medical Center.
Linda Lansing is the Senior Vice President of Clinical Services and Training at Surgical Care Affiliates. Prior to SCA, Ms. Lansing served as a Divisional Vice President of Operations at DaVita Inc., a renal dialysis and medical group provider. She is a member of the ASC Quality Collaboration Expert and Leadership Groups. Ms. Lansing earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Villanova University.
Robert F. LaPrade, MD, PhD, an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine physician, practices with The Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colo., and performs procedures at Vail Valley Surgery Center. Dr. LaPrade also serves as the director of biomechanics research at the Steadman Philippon Research Institute.
Carla Lauenstein, RN, is the administrator of Southwest Lincoln (Neb.) Surgery Center, affiliated with Blue Chip Surgical Center Partners. The surgery center offers neurosurgery, spine surgery, orthopedics, ophthalmology, podiatry, plastics and pain management.
Lauren Lazar is a senior director of new business development for Surgical Care Affiliates, where she works to drive growth initiatives and lead market transformation efforts. She is based in Boca Raton, Fla. Ms. Lazar received her degree from New York University.
Jared Leger is co-founder, managing partner and CEO of Arise Healthcare. The company currently owns and operates various healthcare-related businesses with a focus on ASCs. His background as a registered nurse coupled with his healthcare business background has allowed him to grow Arise Healthcare at an accelerated pace. In addition to leading Arise, Mr. Leger owns a real estate investment company based out of Austin, Texas.
Scott Leggett is CEO of Surgery One and has more than 17 years of experience in orthopedics. Surgery One manages four outpatient surgery centers located in San Diego County. He has served in a development and regional management role for U.S. Orthopedics, which was acquired by National Surgical Hospitals in 2001. Mr. Leggett previously developed and managed the OrthoMed Spine & Joint Conditioning and WellStrong Centers for the orthopedic department of the University of California, San Diego. He was president of the California Ambulatory Surgery Association from 2006 to 2007 and now serves on the board as the legislative co-chair.
Liliana Lehmann, RN, is the administrator at Hallandale Outpatient Surgical Center in Hallandale Beach, Fla. In addition, she is founder and president of Axis Management & Billing Services and administrator at the Surgery Center of Weston (Fla.).
Jeff Leland is CEO of Blue Chip Surgical Center Partners. The company develops and manages surgery centers, many of them focused on spine surgery. He previously served as executive director of Lutheran General Medical Group, a 260-physician, multispecialty medical group in Chicago, and as a senior-level executive with Advocate Health Care in Chicago, where he was responsible for both business development and Advocate's 225,000-member health plan.
Holly LeRoux is a director of operations for Pinnacle III and administrator of Boulder (Colo.) Community Musculoskeletal Surgery Center. Prior to joining Pinnacle III, Ms. LeRoux held a variety of leadership and management positions at Kaiser Permanente including directing clinical services and surgical operations for their ASCs in Colorado. She has managed up to 140 employees in both clinical and non-clinical operations.
Bruce Levy, MD, JD, is the CEO of Austin (Texas) Gastroenterology and Austin Endoscopy Center I &II. Dr. Levy is also a board member of the Texas Ambulatory Surgery Center Society. He is a board-certified anesthesiologist.
Mark Lindberg, CASC CPHRM, oversees Laser Spine Institute’s Philadelphia facility as the executive director. He has more than 10 years of operations management experience and has provided the Philadelphia facility a solid foundation during this period of rapid growth. As the number of patients visiting Laser Spine Institute's Philadelphia facility steadily increases, Mr. Lindberg and his team continue to set new patient satisfaction records and his team was named a Top Workplace in Philadelphia in 2013 and 2014.
Maddie Linder, RN, CASC, is administrator of Bethesda Outpatient Surgery Center, a multispecialty surgery center located in Boynton Beach, FL. The center is affiliated with AmSurg.
Michael Lipomi is the president and CEO of Surgical Management Professionals, a Sioux Falls, S.D.-based surgery center and specialty hospital management company. He has more than 30 years of experience operating ASCs and specialty hospitals. Mr. Lipomi has previously served as CEO of Stansilaus Surgical Hospital in Modesto, Calif., which he grew from a small surgery center into a leading specialty hospital. He also owned and operated a number of surgery centers while serving as president of RMC MedStone.
Shelley Longgood, RN, CASC, is a director of operations for Pinnacle III, as well as administrator of Northwoods Surgery Center in Woodruff, Wis., and Pine Ridge Surgery Center in Wausau, Wis. Ms. Longgood has more than 20 years of experience in healthcare. Prior to joining Pinnacle III, Ms. Longgood was the director at Rocky Mountain Surgical Center in Bozeman, Mont.
Marian Lowe is senior vice president of payer and employer strategies with United Surgical Partners International. Ms. Lowe previously served as a partner of Strategic Health Care. She also has experience as special assistant to the director at the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission.
Helen Lowenwirth, MBA, CASC, is the administrator at East Side Endoscopy in New York. She was previously practice manager for New York Gastroenterology Associates and administrator for Park Avenue Radiologists.
Rodney H. Lunn serves as the president and CEO of PhyBus, which aims at increasing profitability and improving management and operations at ASCs. He is considered by many as the original pioneer of the contemporary ambulatory surgery center concept, having transformed the traditional ASC into a practical, successful business model. During his 25-year career in the ASC industry, he has developed more than 150 ASCs throughout the United States.
James J. Lynch, MD, FRCSI, FAANS, a fellowship-trained spine surgeon, is the founder SpineNevada and the Surgery Center of Reno (Nev.). Dr Lynch was the first surgeon in Reno to perform minimally invasive TLF and MAS PLIF procedures. He performs more than 200 cervical spine fusions each year. Dr. Lynch also serves as a partner and director of spine services at Regent Surgical Health.
Winborne Macphail is the senior vice president of sales and market development at Surgical Care Affiliates. Prior to SCA, she served as a division vice president of operations for Apria Healthcare, a home healthcare products and services company. She earned a Bachelor of Arts from Meredith College.
Sarah Malaniak, CASC, is the administrator of the Ambulatory Center for Endoscopy in North Bergen, N.J., a joint venture between physicians from seven GI practices and Physicians Endoscopy. She began her career in healthcare in 1998 as the administrator of Teaneck (N.J.) Surgical Center. Ms. Malaniak earned her BS in business from the University of California, Berkeley.
Thomas Mallon co-founded Regent Surgical Health in 2001 and now serves as CEO. The surgery center management and development company has grown to include more than 24 facilities in the United States and Europe. Mr. Mallon offers each facility his expertise on all aspects of clinical and financial operations, as he has significant experience in venture capital funds, turnarounds and physician recruitment. He earned an MBA from the Harvard Business School.
Laxmaiah Manchikanti, MD, is the medical director of the Pain Management Center of Paducah (Ky.) and Ambulatory Surgery Center. He serves as the chairman of the board and CEO of the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians. Dr. Manchikanti also serves as an associate clinical professor of anesthesiology and perioperative medicine at the University of Louisville (Ky.). He completed his fellowship training at the University of Pittsburgh.
Kara Marshall Newbury serves as assistant director, government affairs for health policy for the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association. In this role, Ms. Newbury spearheads ASCA's regulatory efforts and serves as the association’s primary contact with federal regulators. Previously, she coordinated state legislative, regulatory and public affairs for the association. Ms. Newbury received her undergraduate and law degrees from The Ohio State University in Columbus.
Lori Martin, RN, is the administrator at Summit Surgery Center in Reno, Nev.. Previously, she was director of nursing at the Surgery Center of Reno.
Reed Martin is the chief operating officer of Surgical Management Professionals. Mr. Martin has more than 25 years of experience in the healthcare field. Prior to joining SMP, he was a group vice president and vice president of operations with Nueterra.
Stephanie Martin, BSN, RN, CNOR, is the administrator of St. Augustine (Fla.) Surgery Center. This year, Ms. Martin helped introduce a total joint replacement program at the center. She expects to earn her MHA from Belhaven University in Jackson, Miss., by 2016.
Bryan Massoud, MD, is founder and head surgeon at Spine Centers of America in Fair Lawn, N.J. He performed more than 1,000 endoscopic spine surgeries, including endoscopic cervical spine surgery. He also trains spine surgeons in endoscopic procedures, and articles he authored on the subject are published in professional journals.
Jebby Mathew, MBA, MHA, joined Pinnacle III as a director of operations. He serves as the administrator of The Orthopaedic and Spine Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Prior to joining Pinnacle III, he was the administrator of Kelsey-Seybold Clinic in Houston. Mr. Mathew earned his MBA/MHA from the University of Houston Clear Lake and his BA in psychology from Emory University in Atlanta.
Brian Mathis is a group vice president of strategy and payer engagement with Surgical Care Affiliates. Previously, he was a vice president of strategy with SCA.
Denise Mayhew is the chief administrative officer of Nueterra. Ms. Mayhew has been with the company since its inception in 1997. She has more than 20 years of management experience in the ASC and acute hospital industries.
Colin McDermott, CFA, CPA/ABV, is a senior manager with VMG Health and is based in the Dallas office. He specializes in providing financial, valuation and transaction advisory services to clients in the healthcare industry including ambulatory surgery centers. Mr. McDermott received a MS in finance from Texas A&M University. He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in Texas and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst and Accredited in Business Valuation designations.
Christina McDonald serves as the administrator of Tampa Outpatient Surgical Facility, where she is responsible for overseeing facility operations and strategically increasing volume. Since joining the center in August 2008, she increased monthly case volume from an average of 200 to an average of 700. Prior to joining Tampa Outpatient, Ms. McDonald worked as the assistant administrator to the executive vice president of patient care services. She also completed an administrative fellowship at Tampa General Hospital working under the president and CEO.
Kevin McDonough, CFA, is a partner with VMG Health, a leading provider of valuation services to the surgery center industry. Mr. McDonough began his career with VMG in 2003 and now leads the firm's ASC business valuation department. He has had the privilege of working with industry leaders to help them navigate today's market challenges and of providing valuation services to a large number of ASCs. Mr. McDonough holds a CFA designation and is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin.
Stewart McFadden, MHA, MBA, FACMPE, is the executive director at Four Corners Ambulatory Surgery Center in Farmington, N.M. Previously, he has held several practice administrator positions.
Amber McGraw Walsh, JD, is a partner of Chicago law firm McGuireWoods. Ms. McGraw Walsh earned her law degree from Washington University in St. Louis. Her practice focuses on healthcare transactions and regulatory matters.
Amy McKiernan joined Louisville (Ky.) Surgery Center, an ASD Management facility, in January 2005, three months after the center opened. She says the center has grown tremendously since her first day; in the first year, the ASC performed 814 cases, and in 2010, the number jumped to 3,431 cases.
Kelli McMahan, RN, CASC, is vice president of operations with Pinnacle III. She has been an RN for more than 30 years. During her career, Ms. McMahan served on the boards of a number of ASC associations.
Christine Merryman is the chief development and operations officer with SurgCenter Development, which has signed more than 145 ASC projects over the course of its history. Ms. Merriman has been with SurgCenter Development for more than a decade. She earned her degree from the University of Missouri – Columbia.
Keith Metz, MD, JD, is a board-certified anesthesiologist and the medical director of Great Lakes Surgical Center in Southfield, Mich. Dr. Metz is a former member of the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association's board of directors. He earned his medical degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit.
Andrew J. Michael, MD, is a partner and board member of Stony Point Surgery Center in Richmond, Va. He is a board-certified ophthalmologist with a focus on surgical management of cataracts and glaucoma. He founded his practice, Commonwealth Eye Care Associates, in 2000.
Lindsay Miller is the executive vice president of operations for National Medical Billing Services, one of the largest ASC revenue cycle management companies in the country. She provides detailed financial analysis and reporting for clients while simultaneously ensuring that their outstanding teams perform National Medical's mission in optimum fashion to maximize output while achieving quality results.
Krystal Mims is senior vice president of Texas Health Partners, the joint venture development and management arm of Texas Health. She also serves on the executive team of Texas Health Resources. Since joining Texas Health Partners in 2004, Ms. Mims has participated in the development of several newly-constructed joint ventures and oversaw operations. Before being named president, she served as Texas Health Partners' executive vice president and COO.
Kris Mineau co-founded Constitution Surgery Centers in 1997 and serves as its president and CEO. He led the company's growth since its inception, partnering with over 200 physicians to build surgery centers and three hospital systems in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. He has been involved in many professional organizations, and was a founding president of Connecticut Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers.
Aimee Mingus, RN, is Regent Surgical Health's director of clinical operations on the west coast. Ms. Mingus has more than 20 years of experience in healthcare. Prior to her current role, she served as a supervisor of Regent's Surgery Center of Anchorage. Ms. Mingus earned her nursing degree from the University of Alaska.
Carol Mitchell-Springer, MD, is a board-certified OB/GYN physician and a partner of Surgery Center of Anchorage in Alaska. Dr. Mitchell-Springer is in private practice with Alaska Women's Health and currently serves as the practice's president. She focuses on uro-gynecology and gynecology.
Kenneth K. Moghadam, MD, is a board-certified fertility and endocrinology physician and OB/GYN physician. Dr. Moghadam performs procedures at Vivere-Austin Surgery Center. He is also the founder and medical director of Austin Fertility Institute.
Katharine Mongoven, MBA, is the director of marketing, sales and business development with Pinnacle III. Since joining the company in 2013, she has assisted clients with same-store growth initiatives, charity care days and brand imaging. Ms. Mongoven earned her MBA from the University of Connecticut in Storrs.
David Moody, RN, is the administrator of Knightsbridge Surgery Center in Columbus, Ohio, which is a joint venture between physician partners, Regent Surgical Health and OhioHealth in Columbus. He has been the administrator there for approximately 11 years, negotiating Knightsbridge's conversion to a joint venture in 2007.
Wanda Moratelli, CASC, is administrator at Ambulatory Care Center in Vineland, N.J. She has more than 15 years as a healthcare executive and helped the center achieve 100 percent success rate with AAAHC and CMS accreditation.
Robert Mosher, JD, is a partner with Nossaman Guthner Knox & Elliott in Los Angeles. He is experienced in healthcare law, mergers and acquisitions, partnerships, securities and business transactions, and his clients include large managed care provider groups and facility-based companies.
Arvind Movva, MD, is CEO of Gastroenterology Consultants and Regional SurgiCenter, a multispecialty ASC in Moline. He also practices as a gastroenterologist and serves as co-founder and consultant with Movva Medical Consulting. Dr. Movva joined Gastroenterology Consultants upon completion of his fellowship at the Medical College of Georgia in 2010. He offers a full range of gastroenterology care.
Aaron Murski is a partner of VMG Health, based in the Dallas area. He focuses on developing client relationships and providing valuation, transaction advisory and operational consulting services in the healthcare services industry. He specifically has significant experience with the acute-care and specialty hospital, physician practice, inpatient rehabilitation, cancer treatment, ASC and diagnostic imaging segments.
Jessica Nantz is the founder and president of Outpatient Healthcare Strategies, a Houston-based management and consulting company. She focuses on providing clients with the tools needed to improve operational efficiency. Ms. Nantz has 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry, more than half of which she has spent concentrating on the outpatient care field. Prior to founding Outpatient Healthcare Strategies, she served as a senior executive for HealthSouth, which operated and managed various healthcare facilities.
Stanton M. Nelson is CEO of Foundation HealthCare, a company focused on owning, operating, developing and partnering with physicians in surgical hospitals, ASCs and sleep centers. The company was founded in 1996 by current Chairman Tom Michaud and includes three surgical hospitals, 12 ASCs and 56 sleep centers. Mr. Nelson also serves on the board for Valliance Bank as vice chairman and previously served as CEO of Monroe-Stephens Broadcasting.
Penny Nicarry is administrator of the Endoscopy Center at Robinwood in Hagerstown, Md. She has been administrator since 2002 and helped negotiate the current ownership structure, which has been in place since June 2012.
Penny Nichols is the administrator at Greater New Orleans Surgery. Previously, she served as the business office supervisor for the East Bank Internal Medicine Group in Metarie, La.
Kecia Norling, CNOR, CASC, has been at Northwest Ambulatory Surgery Center in Portland since its construction in 2004 and has served as administrator since 2006. The center is a joint venture between 17 physicians, United Surgical Partners International and Legacy Health in Portland.
Miriam Odermann, RN, MPH, is the CEO of ambulatory services – Oregon region at Providence Health & Services, headquartered in Renton, Wash. She is responsible for strategic planning, development and implementation of the health system's ambulatory strategies, including joint ventures with ASCs in the Portland, Ore. area. Ms. Odermann earned her MPH from Portland State University.
Joseph G. Ollayos is administrator at Tri-Cities Surgery Center in Geneva, Ill., a position he's held since 2006. He has worked in healthcare for more than 10 years and achieved CASC in 2005. He was elected Ambulatory Surgery Center Association of Illinois president in 2012 and 2013.
Sean O'Neal is a founding principal of SurgCenter Development. Mr. O'Neal, who has more than 30 years of experience in healthcare management, completed postgraduate studies in health services administration at California State University, Northridge. He previously served as a hospital CEO and worked to bridge the gap between physicians and hospital administration. SurgCenter Development has developed more than 100 physician-owned ASCs.
Joan F. O'Shea, MD, a board-certified neurosurgeon, is the founder of the Spine Institute of Southern New Jersey in Marlton. In addition to her work the ASC, Dr. O'Shea teaches spine surgery to other neurosurgeons. Dr. O'Shea completed a fellowship in orthopedic spine surgery at the Hospital for Joint Disease and The Spine Institute of New York at Beth Israel Medical Center, both in New York.
Michael Pankey, RN, is administrator at Ambulatory Surgery Center of Spartanburg (S.C). He previously served as administrator and clinical resources manager at other centers and spent 10 years in the Army Reserves. He has been president of the South Carolina ASC Association.
Kerri Parnell, CASC, is administrator at the Outpatient Surgery Center of Jonesboro (Ark.). Previously, she served as financial manager for the center for eight years, beginning in 2003.
Michael Patterson, FACHE, is president and CEO of Mississippi Valley Surgery Center in Davenport, Iowa. He has previous experience in health administration at another surgical center and hospital. He also spent time in the Navy and Naval Reserves.
Toni R. Patterson, DO, is an anesthesiologist and medical director of Mid-Rivers Surgery Center in Saint Peters, Mo. Dr. Patterson is also a physician with Physician Anesthesia Services, based in Ballwin, Mo. She served as the American Osteopathic College of Anesthesiologists 2012 to 2013 president.
Jeff Peacock has been administrator at Rochester (N.Y.) Ambulatory Surgery Center for three years. The center is a joint venture from the 2011 partnership between Lattimore Community Surgery Center and Rochester General Health System. Mr. Peacock saw the center through the change, which occurred when RACS opened its doors in late 2013.
Daron Pealock, RN, BSN, is administrator and director of nursing for Cedar Orthopaedic Surgery Center in Cedar City, Utah. He assumed his role as administrator in late 2012. He continues to practice as an OR nurse, in addition to his administrative roles. Cedar Orthopaedic Surgery Center is AAAHC accredited and offers orthopedic surgery, spine surgery and pain management procedures.
Jeff Péo is the chief development officer for the Ambulatory Surgical Centers of America. He graduated from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, with a degree in manufacturing engineering. Prior to joining ASCOA, Mr. Péo ran a knowledge management and IT consulting division for a Fortune 100 company.
Glenna Pendleton is Nueterra's senior vice president of business development. Ms. Pendleton Glenna cultivates Nueterra's existing business relationships while creating new connections and opportunities with potential healthcare partners. She assists in the development of new healthcare facilities and patient services, including de novo projects, turnarounds and acquisitions. Prior to joining Nueterra, she worked as vice president, strategic and business planning, with Texas Health Resources.
Kenneth Pettine, MD, is the founder of The Spine Institute. Dr. Pettine also founded Arete Surgical Center in Johnstown, Colo. Dr. Pettine is a board-certified, fellowship-trained spine surgeon. He has served as the principal investigator of 15 FDA studies focused on non-fusion implants, biologics and stem cells.
Linda Phillips, RN, is the administrator at Southgate (Mich.) Surgery Center. She oversaw the center's expansion from a single-OR, ophthalmic clinic to a four-OR, multispecialty clinic.
Lori Pilla, RN, BSN, MBA, is vice president of clinical advantage and supply chain optimization for Amerinet. She has extensive experience in healthcare with business development, strategic planning and financial performance. She previously spent time as director capital, surgical and critical resources at Ascension Health System and consultant director business services, surgery at St. Anthony's Medical Center.
Stanford Plavin, MD, a board-certified anesthesiologist, is a founding member and managing partner of Ambulatory Anesthesia of Atlanta. Dr. Plavin is also a past president of the Greater Atlanta Society of Anesthesiologists. In addition to his practice, Dr. Plavin is vice chairperson of Preventing Colorectal Cancer, a multidisciplinary group dedicated to colorectal cancer prevention and care, and a board member of the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association.
John Poisson is senior vice president of new business development at Physicians Endoscopy. During his more than 17 years of healthcare experience, he has served in senior management positions within both corporate development and operations roles. Prior to Physicians Endoscopy, Mr. Poisson was vice president of client services at Transcend Services and vice president of new business development at Coastal Physician Group.
William A. Portuese, MD, is a past president of the Washington ASC Association and Washington State Chapter of Facial Plastic Surgeons. He specializes in plastic, cosmetic and reconstructive surgery of the face and neck and has studied recent advancements in facial cosmetic surgery, including tissue adhesive techniques and lower eyelid surgery without external incisions.
Heather Prince is the executive director of West Park Surgery Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo. The surgery center is a joint venture between physician-owners and Blue Chip Surgical Center Partners. The center offers spine, neurosurgery and pain management procedures.
Frank Principati is the COO of Physicians Endoscopy. He joined PE in 2010, before which he was a division president with AmSurg. During his time with PE, Mr. Principati has led the development and expansion of a regional office and overseen 68 GI centers across 15 states.
Paul Protomastro, MD, is a board-certified orthopedic hand surgeon with Surgical Care Affiliates' Norwalk (Conn.) Surgery Center. Dr. Protomastro practices with Coastal Orthopaedics in Norwalk, Conn. Dr. Protomastro focuses on minimally invasive upper extremity surgery, total joint replacement of the shoulder and elbow and arthroscopic shoulder surgery. He has also been a board member of the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association.
John V. Prunskis, MD, FIPP, is the founder and co-medical director of Illinois Pain Institute, which has seven locations in the Chicago area. He also serves as the medical director of the Barrington Pain and Spine Institute, the only state-licensed ASC in Illinois that focuses solely on all pain and spine related care from injections to spine surgeries. Dr. Prunskis, double board-certified in anesthesiology and pain management, is an active member of the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians. He also serves as a director-at-large of the Illinois Society of Interventional Pain Physicians. He has been appointed by the US State Dept. and Lithuanian government as Hon. Consul of Lithuania in the USA. US World and News Report has honored Dr. Prunskis as a Top Pain Physician in Chicago. He has also been selected by his peers six times as a Castle Connolly Top Pain Doctor.
Barbara Pulliam, BS, CASA, is vice president of revenue cycle with Surgical Management Professionals. Ms. Pulliam previously served as director of business office operations for revenue cycle at Health Inventures. She has also served as a regional business office director with Symbion.
Michelle Punshon, MBA, is the administrator of Coastal Orthopedics' ASC in Bradenton, Fla. Previously, she was the administrator of Southeastern Surgery Center in Tallahassee, Fla. Ms. Punshon earned her MBA from the University of Florida – Warrington College of Business in Gainesville.
Vito Quatela, MD, is the co-founder and CEO of Ambulatory Healthcare Strategies. He developed and owns two ASCs in Rochester, N.Y., and founded HUGS, a nonprofit organization that does medical mission trips into third-world countries. He is a board-certified facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon and serves as clinical associate professor at the University of Rochester's otolaryngology department.
Jessica Quick, MBA, has served as the administrator for The Colonoscopy Center, a physician-owned facility located in Omaha, since 2011. Prior to joining The Colonoscopy Center, Ms. Quick was the manager for the Health Inventure's Central Business Office located in Omaha. She received her master's degree in business administration from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Ms. Quick is a member of the Nebraska Association of Independent Ambulatory Centers.
David Raab, MD, serves on the board of managers at the Illinois Sports Medicine & Orthopedic Surgery Center in Morton Grove, Ill. Dr. Raab is also one of the founding physicians of Illinois Bone and Joint Institute. Dr. Raab is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon.
Lori Ramirez founded Elite Surgical Affiliates in 2008 and now leads as its president and CEO. Elite provides management and development for surgical facilities, with a special focus on orthopedics, spine and pain. Prior to founding Elite Surgical Affiliates, Ms. Ramirez was a senior vice president at United Surgical Partners International.
Raghu Reddy is the administrator of SurgCenter of Western Maryland in Cumberland. The surgery center, partnered with SurgCenter Development, offers ENT, gastroenterology, general surgery, orthopedics, podiatry and pain management services. The ASC was established in 2011.
Michael Redler, MD, is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine physician with Surgical Care Affiliates' Surgery Center of Fairfield County in Trumball, Conn. Dr. Redler is also a co-founder and partner of The Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Center in Trumball. He earned his medical degree from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine in Farmington. He completed his residency and fellowship training at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Dr. Redler also serves as an SCA Physician Leadership Board Member.
Amy M. Reighard, RN, MSN, CGRN, was named administrator of Allegheny Regional Endoscopy in Altoona, Pa., in 2013, before which she served as clinical director of the center. She is certified in gastroenterology nursing. "I enjoy working in the ASC. I like working with regulatory aspects as well as QI/Benchmarking. I have learned so much over the years and hope to continue learning more," she says.
Christopher Reising, MD, FACS, is the medical director of the Pinnacle III-affiliated center Pine Ridge Surgery Center in Wausau, Wis. Dr. Reising is a board-certified general surgeon. He focuses on endocrine surgery, bariatrics, surgical oncology and vascular procedures.
Karen Reiter is COO at DISC Sports & Spine Center in Marina Del Rey, Calif., and Newport Beach, Calif., which are focused on outpatient orthopedics and spine. The centers are accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care and affiliated with Red Bull America and the Los Angeles Kings.
Anne Remm is the administrator of Miracle Hill Surgery Center in Omaha. She has more than 28 years of experience in nursing and more than 20 years of experience in surgical management. The surgery center is affiliated with Meridian Surgical Partners.
Ralph J. Riccardi is president and CEO of SourceMedical, where he has also served as president and COO of the company's therapy division. He has previous experience as senior vice president of channel partner programs for WebMD where he was responsible for sales and management of more than 650 IT vendor relationships. Mr. Riccardi also spent 21 years in the United States Air Force Medical Service where he held several positions, including director of contracting policy and operations for the Office of the Surgeon General, USAF.
Gary Richberg, RN, BSN, CASC, is administrator at Pacific Rim Outpatient Surgery Center in Bellingham, Wash., a position he's held for more than eight years. He earned his CASC credential in 2003 and previously served as administrator of the Institute for Orthopaedic Surgery in Las Vegas.
John C. Richmond, MD, is medical director for Network Development at New England Baptist Hospital (NEBH). Previously, he served as Chairman of Orthopedics at NEBH for over a decade. An active researcher and surgical pioneer, Dr. Richmond’s main interests have included ligament and cartilage injury, biology, and healing. His primary clinical interests today lie in the treatment of sports injuries and arthroscopic surgery of the knee and shoulder.
Patrick Richter is a vice president of business development for United Surgical Partners International. Prior to joining USPI, he spent 13 years serving in various capacities at Baylor Health Care System in Dallas, most recently as the vice president of business development. Mr. Richter received a master's degree in taxation from Texas A&M University.
Lindsay Rinnan is director of development and physician recruitment with Regent Surgical Health. Ms. Rinnan is responsible for attracting new physician recruits and new investment. Ms. Rinnan has more than a decade of experience in healthcare. Previously, she worked at Blue Chip Surgical Partners and in pharmaceutical and medical device sales.
Anne Roberts, RN, is the administrator of the Surgery Center of Reno (Nev.). Ms. Roberts joined the surgery center when it opened in February 2006 and became administrator in October 2006. The surgery center is a partnership between physicians, St. Mary's Hospital and Regent Surgical Health.
Tami Robinson, RN, BSN, MSN, CNOR, is administrator and director of nursing at Unity Surgical Center in Lafayette, Ind. The ASC was licensed by the state in 2001 and is a collaboration between Unity Healthcare and Franciscan St. Elizabeth Health.
Lisa Rock has served as president of National Medical Billing Services, one of the largest ASC revenue cycle management companies in the country for the last 10 years. She is a seasoned healthcare management veteran with more than 25 years experience in the industry. Her wide-ranging background consists of positions such as director of training and education for the largest regional payer in the Mid-Atlantic area for seven years, and vice president of business office operations for an ASC development and management company for two years.
Mary Rogers is the administrator of Premier Surgery Center of Sarasota (Fla.), an Ambulatory Surgical Centers of America center. The surgery center offers ENT, gastroenterology, general surgery, oculoplastics, ophthalmology, orthopedics, plastic surgery and podiatry services. The center performed its first case in 2008.
Jay Rom, MBA, CPA, is the president of Blue Chip Surgical Partners. Before joining Blue Chip, he served as CEO of a cardiology group in Cincinnati with 15 physicians, and was vice president for physician services of the Franciscan Health System, where he was responsible for a 60-physician multispecialty group.
Michael Romansky, JD, is the Washington Counsel for the Outpatient Ophthalmologic Surgery Society. He has practiced exclusively in health law, representing healthcare providers, companies and organizations. He also has served as the Washington counsel to many other medical specialty and health trade associations.
Stephen Rosenbaum is co-founder and CEO of Interventional Management Services. Mr. Rosenbaum has served as vice president of finance for development at MedCath and helped develop Carolinas Surgery Center. In addition, Mr. Rosenbaum created an independent healthcare consulting company, SourceRevenue, where he was involved in the development of a neurosurgical hospital and a physician-owned hospital.
Kenneth L. Rosenquest is a senior vice president of operations at Constitution Surgery Centers, based in Newington, Conn., and oversees the company's hospital joint ventures. He served as administrator of one of the top performing orthopedic surgery centers in the country and has experience in all aspects of ASC management from operations to billing to equipment acquisition.
Kenneth R. Ross started Solara Surgical Partners and currently serves as its CEO. He has more than 30 years of management experience in healthcare, energy and finance, including 17 years in operations management, finance, strategy and business development in several healthcare industries. He previously founded and developed Solara Healthcare, where he helped develop seven long-term acute care hospitals. Mr. Ross is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, a member of the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Adjunct Faculty and a CPA.
Michael Rucker serves as Surgical Care Affiliates' executive vice president and COO. Prior to SCA, he served as a Divisional Vice President of Operations at DaVita Inc. (a renal dialysis provider). Previously, Mr. Rucker served as an associate in the healthcare group of Houlihan Lokey (a specialty investment banking firm) and also worked in public accounting as a CPA. He earned a Bachelor of Science from Miami University and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Blayne Rush, MBA, is president of Ambulatory Alliances, a boutique investment banking and business brokerage and strategic advisory firm for surgery and radiation oncology centers. He is also the published of "The Ambulatory M&A Advisor." With more than 15 years experience in healthcare, he has completed acquisition searches for more than 200 healthcare clients, ranging from physician-owned cancer centers to large corporations focusing on the oncology market.
Michael E. Russell II, MD, is a spine surgeon at Azalea Orthopaedics in Tyler, Texas. He serves on the board of directors and is a past president of Physician Hospitals of America and Texas Spine and Joint Hospital in Tyler. He earned his medical degree at the University of Southwestern Medical School in Dallas a completed a spine surgery fellowship at The Carolinas Medical Center at Charlotte (N.C.).
Mary Ryan, MBA, CASC, is administrator at Tri-State Surgery Center in Dubuque, Iowa. She is a past AORN chapter president and founding member of the Iowa ASC Association. According to her staff, she strives for continuous improvement in clinical and financial operations.
Brian Rye, BS, ATC/L, CASC, has been CEO of Melbourne (Fla.) Surgery Center since June of 2008. The center is partially owned by Surgical Care Affiliates.
Dan Saale is CFO of Nueterra. He oversees all the financial activities of the company and directs the financial services within each of Nueterra's physician partnership ventures. He was previously vice president of finance for Health Midwest.
Karen Sablyak, CPA, is the CFO of Physicians Endoscopy. Ms. Sablyak joined the company in 1999. She oversees billing, finance, human resources and payer contracting at the company's centers. She also provides the company with strategic financial vision. Prior to her work with PE, Ms. Sablyak was a vice president of practice management for Allegheny (Pa.) University Hospitals.
Nader J. Samii is CEO of National Medical Billing Services, a leading revenue cycle outsourcing company focused strictly on ASCs. He was the co-founder and president of revenue cycle company, Ajuba International and has also worked as a corporate finance attorney and an investment banker at both Merrill Lynch and UBS.
Vicki Sanders is the senior vice president of business office services at Nueterra. Ms. Sanders is responsible for ensuring that all business office operations are functioning accurately and timely for proper generation of management reports and cash flow. She assists in the training of new business office staff on policies, procedures and information systems. Previously, Ms. Sanders was the regional director of reimbursement for Home Medical of America.
Phillip Santillanes, FACHE, CASC, is the executive director of Specialty Surgery Center in San Antonio. Mr. Santillanes is a healthcare executive with more than 17 years of experience in healthcare delivery systems and currently serves as the executive director of Specialty Surgery Center. He is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and is board-certified in healthcare management. His experience in clinical and administrative leadership spans a broad range from leading clinical teams, hospital departments and a multispecialty surgery center.
Marcy Sasso, CASC, is the co-chair and founder of the Surgery Center Coalition, a New Jersey ASC group, and director ASC consulting company Sasso Consulting. She also serves as administrator of the Centers for Special Surgery at Essex County in Roseland, N.J. Previously, Ms. Sasso served as the administrator of Raritan Valley Surgery Center in Somerset, N.J., and the director of operations of Ambulatory Surgery Center of Union County in Union, N.J. Ms. Sasso and Surgery Center Coalition co-director Dorcie Wawrzynski put together an annual conference for the New Jersey group, which hosts more than 650 members.
Glenda Satterly is the administrative director of the Kentucky Surgery Center in Lexington. Ms. Beasley has been with the center since 1990. The surgery center is affiliated with ASD Management.
Tona Savoie, RN, is the administrative director of the Bayou Region Surgical Center in Thibodaux, La. Ms. Savoie has been with the center since it opened in 2007. The center is managed by ASD Management.
Robert Schaal is the executive director of the Missouri Orthopaedic Institute in Columbia, Mo. It is central Missouri's largest freestanding orthopedic center. Mr. Schaal, with a background in physical therapy, has introduced outpatient physical therapy to the center's offerings.
Michael Schaff, JD, MBA, LLM, is chair of corporate and healthcare departments at Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer. He is also the chair of the program planning committee for the American Health Lawyers Association's Physician Organization Law.
Donald Schellpfeffer, MD, PhD, is the CEO and director of Medical Facilities Corporation and Sioux Falls (S.D.) Specialty Hospital. As an original founder of Sioux Falls Specialty Hospital, Dr. Schellpfeffer has been its CEO and a member of the management committee since the facility's inception in 1985. He has more than 30 years of experience in ambulatory surgical environments and in general, cardiovascular and trauma practices.
Lisa Schriver, RN, CNOR, is the administrator at Turks Head Surgery Center in Chester, Pa. The multispecialty surgery center is affiliated with Blue Chip Surgical Center Partners.
Vicki V. Schultz, RN, CASC, is president of the Texas Health Women's Specialty Surgery Center in Dallas. Ms. Schultz has held this position for nearly six years. Previously, she served as a regional director for HealthSouth.
Simon Schwartz is a partner of Strategic Resources Group. Mr. Schwartz has worked in the ASC industry for the past 10 years. As a partner in Strategic Resources Group, a healthcare trade association management consulting company, he co-manages the day-to-day operations for the Colorado Ambulatory Surgery Center Association, Oregon Ambulatory Surgery Center Association and the New Jersey Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers.
Matt Searles, MBA, has been a partner with Merritt Healthcare for more than 10 years. During that time, he has managed, developed and advised for dozens of healthcare facilities across the country. Mr. Searles is also a registered investment banking agent holding Series 79 and Series 63 licenses. His background includes experience in corporate finance and venture capital-backed companies. Prior to Merritt, he served as senior vice president of finance for a service company based in Greenwich, Conn. He earned his MBA from Duke University in Durham, N.C.
Rich Searles, a partner with Merritt Healthcare, has overseen the business operations of the company's northeastern ASCs since 2008. He is also a registered investment banking agent with Series 79 and 63 licenses. Mr. Searles completed his BA in economics at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Phenelle Segal, RN, CIC, is the founder, owner and president of Infection Control Consulting Services. She earned her nursing degree from the B.G. Alexander School of Nursing and has more than 30 years of experience in the infection prevention and control industry. Prior to starting Infection Control Consulting Services, she served as an infection control manager at Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital in Malvern, Pa., and as the director of infection control at Robert F. Kennedy Medical Center Los Angeles for 14 years.
John R. Seitz is president and CEO of MMX Healthcare and a global health group head, business development and transformation strategist with UST Global. He has more than 25 years of experience in healthcare, including founding and leading start-up companies. He was one of the founders and president of Surgem and was responsible for building the company from the ground up. Prior to founding Surgem, Mr. Seitz served as founder and CEO of Cornerstone Physicians, a medical practice management company.
Michael Sengmanivong has served as administrator of Beverly Hills (Calif.) Spine Surgery for nearly three years. The surgery center includes four spine specialists who treat a wide-array of spine conditions, such as ankylosing spondylitis, degenerative disc disease, disc herniations, scoliosis, spondylolisthesis and tumors. "We have had many [accomplishments] throughout the years but our greatest accomplishment was getting AAAHC certified for three years," says Mr. Sengmanivong.
Caryl Serbin, RN, BSN, LHRM, is president of Serbin Medical Consulting and previously served as executive vice president and chief strategy officer for SourceMedical, which provides clinical and business software solutions for ambulatory surgery centers. She was founder and CEO of Serbin Surgery Center Billing, which was acquired by SourceMedical as the core of their new billing division, Revenue Cycle Solutions.
Richard Sharff, JD, is executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary for Surgical Care Affiliates. Before joining SCA, Mr. Sharff was a partner at Bradley Arant Rose & White.
Jeffrey Shanton is the director of billing at Journal Square Surgical Center in Jersey City, N.J. He also serves as chair of the Advocacy & Legislative Affairs Committee for the New Jersey Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers. He is an ASC industry activist and has met with New Jersey lawmakers on ASC-related legislation. Previously, Mr. Shanton served as director of billing for American Surgical Centers.
David Shapiro, MD, CASC, is a past president of the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association and the founder of the consulting firm Ambulatory Surgery Co. During his career, Dr. Shapiro has served medical director and board member of a number of ASCs. He now serves as a board member of the Florida Society of Ambulatory Surgery Centers.
Aaron Shechter oversees the Hackensack (N.J.) Endoscopy Center and the Endoscopy Center of Bergen County in Paramus, N.J. He recently managed the partnership of both centers with United Surgical Partners International and Hackensack (N.J.) University Medical Center. In 2013, Aaron won the CEO Award, an annual honor presented to a single USPI administrator.
Erica Sheldon oversees Laser Spine Institute's Cleveland facility as the executive director. Ms. Sheldon plays a vital role in managing the operations of the facility by ensuring smooth processes are in place and that patients receive quality care. Ms. Sheldon joined Laser Spine Institute in 2012 as a patient experience coordinator, but quickly rose to associate executive director of Laser Spine Institute Philadelphia. Once Laser Spine Institute decided to open a Cleveland facility, she was promoted to executive director of Laser Spine Institute Cleveland.
Sue Shelley is a partner and founder of Surgical Partners of America, a Dallas-based ambulatory surgery center consulting services company. Before starting Surgical Partners of America, she co-founded United Surgical Partners International in 1998 and served as the company's executive vice president until 2002. She has also developed and operated over 100 ambulatory surgery centers at Columbia/HCA, Medical Care International and University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.
Chandler Shirer is administrator of Franciscan Surgery Center in Indianapolis, a joint venture with Franciscan Alliance, where there are more than 9,000 procedures performed each year. The center includes five operating rooms and one procedure room.
Joshua Siegel, MD, is a founding partner and managing member of Northeast Surgery Center in Newington, N.H. Dr. Siegel is board-certified in orthopedic surgery and sports medicine. He serves as sports medicine director at Access Sports Medicine & Orthopaedics.
Jim Sigler, CASC, has been administrator at Casper (Wyo.) Surgical Center for nearly 12 years. He has recently been instrumental in helping his center transition to providing 23-hour stays.
Jeffrey Simmons is chief development officer for Westchester, Ill.-based Regent Surgical Health. He is responsible for overseeing the company's acquisition and development of surgery centers. He began his healthcare career more than 25 years ago as vice president of marketing at American Medical International, overseeing business development for 18 hospitals.
Thomas A. Simpson, MD, FACS, is a board-certified otolaryngologist and chairman of the board of directors at Iowa City Ambulatory Surgical Center. He is also a past president of the Iowa Academy of Otolaryngology. Dr. Simpson also serves as president of the board of directors of Mercy of Iowa City Regional PHO.
Amy Sinder is administrator at the independent, multispecialty CBC Surgery Center in Crown Point, Ind. The center is Joint Commission-accredited.
Lisa Sinsel serves as a group director of clinical services for Surgical Care Affiliates. Prior to joining SCA, Ms. Sinsel served as the director of nursing at the Fort Worth Endoscopy Center and the regional quality coordinator for nine SCA outpatient surgery centers. In March, 2014 Lisa co-authored the AORN article "Ensuring Patient Safety and Optimizing Efficiency During Gastrointestinal Endoscopy." Committed to the education of others as well as personal development, she is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Nursing Informatics.
Rick Sizemore, RN, has been administrator at Spartanburg (S.C.) Surgery Center since 2009. The center is multispecialty and focuses on urology and hand procedure.
Chris D. Skagen, JD, is a Colorado-licensed attorney, who has worked in the ASC industry since 2010. As partner in Strategic Resources Group, a healthcare trade association management consulting company, he co-manages the day-to-day operations for the Colorado Ambulatory Surgery Center Association, Oregon Ambulatory Surgery Center Association and the New Jersey Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers.
Christine Slattery is the administrator and CEO of St. Louis Spine & Orthopedic Surgery Center, which is affiliated with Symbion. She has been with the center for more than six years. The facility offers spine, orthopedic and pain management procedures.
Donna Slosburg, RN, BSN, LHRM, CASC, is the executive director of the ASC Quality Collaboration. Ms. Slosburg has been active in the ASC industry since 1987. Ms. Slosburg served as on the Florida Society of Ambulatory Surgery Centers board of directors and was one of the first to receive the CASC credential. She is also a licensed healthcare risk manager.
Brooke Smith is the administrator of Maryland Surgery Center for Women in Rockville, Md. In her time with Maryland Surgery Center for Women, Ms. Smith has successfully taken a struggling ASC and turned it into a safe, profitable, professional facility. She has worked to increase collections from an average of $70,000 per month to an average of $240,000 per month, all while decreasing the center's days in A/R significantly to an average of 25 days. Her cost savings in 2010 alone added up to $110,000.
Janet Smith, RN, is the administrator of Lake Ridge (Va.) Ambulatory Surgery Center, a joint venture between Blue Chip Surgical Center Partners and Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center. The surgery center focuses on orthopedics, spine and pain management.
Keith Smith, MD, is the co-founder and chief medical director of Surgery Center of Oklahoma, which is known for its early adoption go price transparency. Dr. Smith is a board-certified anesthesiologist. He earned his medical degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine and completed his residency at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock.
Steve Smith is the director of Surgery Center of Wisconsin Rapids (Wis.). He was previously circulating nurse when the center opened in 2006 and became the administrative director a year later. ASD Management manages the center, which added ophthalmology in 2011.
Sheldon S. Sones, RPh, FASCP, is president of Sheldon S. Sones and Associates, a pharmacy and accreditation consulting firm based in Newington, Conn. Established in 1985, the group, serving more than 100 sites in five states, specializes in safe medication management and pharmacy consulting to freestanding and hospital-based ambulatory surgical, endoscopy and renal dialysis centers.
Natalie Soule, RN, MBA, CNOR, CASC, is the administrator and risk manager of Premier Orthopedic Surgery Center in Nashville, Tenn. Ms. Soule has more than 32 years of experience in healthcare. She helped lead managed care contract negotiation, product standardization and cost savings initiatives at the ASC. Ms. Soule is an active member of AORN, ASCA and the Tennessee Ambulatory Surgery Center Association.)
Teresa Sparks is the senior vice president and CFO of Symbion, roles that she has held since 2007. Previously, Ms. Sparks was the company's corporate controller. Before joining Symbion, Ms. Sparks was an assistant controller for managed care organization HealthWise of America.
Cassandra Speier is the senior vice president of operations with Nueterra. After nearly a decade of executive leadership at NovaMed and Symbion, Ms. Speier joined Nueterra. She provides executive oversight and strategic direction for 27 single- and multispecialty facilities in Nueterra's network. She also closely monitors each facility's financial performance and works with management teams to build financial strategies.
Marc Steen is vice president of development United Surgical Partners International, where he oversees a number of USPI ambulatory surgery centers in the Atlanta market, along with management responsibilities for Resurgens Orthopaedics. He previously served as vice president of development and operations in Arizona and Nevada markets.
Debra Stinchcomb, RN, BSN, CASC, is a consultant for Progressive Surgical Solutions. She has more than 30 years of experience in the healthcare industry in development administrative, operations and sales. She previously spent time as director of operations preparation at Health Inventures and as administrator at Universal Surgery Centers.
Donna St. Louis is currently serves as a vice president of ambulatory services at BayCare Health System. Before joining BayCare, she was a group president for Symbion and responsible for more than 45 ASCs.
Jimmy St. Louis III, MBA, is the CEO of Advanced Healthcare Partners as well as an executive consultant to Laser Spine Institute. Advanced Healthcare Partners is a consulting firm that aims to identify and invest in intelligent, forward-thinking companies and projects.
Stephanie L. Stinson, RN, BSN, CASC, is vice president of clinical operations at ASD Management. Ms. Stinson previously served as administrative director for Strictly Pediatrics, a pediatrics-only ASC in Austin, Texas, managed by ASD Management. Working as a nurse for 17 years, she served as a staff nurse in the neurosurgical intensive care unit, surgery and recovery rooms.
Lynne Stoldt is the administrative director of Melbourne (Fla.) Same Day Surgery and Melbourne GI Center. Ms. Stoldt presented at the 2012 Orthopedic, Spine & Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference about her experience with implantable device benefit management in surgery centers.
Kevin Stone, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon and the founder of The Stone Clinic in San Francisco, which includes an ambulatory surgery center. Dr. Stone also established the Stone Research Foundation. He holds more than 40 U.S. patents on novel inventions for the field of healthcare.
Michael Stroup is senior vice president of acquisitions at United Surgical Partners International, where he leads overall acquisition efforts. He has previous experience with RBC Capital Markets and J.P. Morgan as an associate. In his current role he also establishes and manages joint ventures with leading health systems and provides ongoing operational support for the acquired centers.
Maggie Summerfelt, MBA, is the administrator of Advanced Surgery Center in Omaha. She was hired in 2005 to help manage the construction of the ASC, hire staff and obtain licensure and certification. The center opened in 2006.
Tammy Surface is the administrator of New River Valley Surgery Center in Christiansburg, Va. The surgery center is a joint venture between ASD Management, physician owners, physician groups and Carilion New River Valley Medical Center.
Chris Swing is CFO for Vantage Outsourcing, a cataract outsourcing company. He has previous experience as an insurance agent and owner with Swing Insurance Center and as senior cost manager at Pinnacle Foods.
Preeti Syal, MBA, is a senior financial analyst with Regent Surgical Health. Ms. Syal provides financial analysis and accounting support of the company's facilities. Before joining Regent, she was an analyst with Accretive Health. Ms. Syal has bachelors and master's degrees in chemistry and earned an MBA from Loyola University in Chicago.
Melissa Szabad, JD, is a partner with Chicago law firm McGuireWoods. Ms. Szabad's practice focuses on healthcare corporate and regulatory matters. She advises various healthcare providers including ASCs, ASC chains and hospitals. She earned her law degree from DePaul University College of Law in Chicago.
Barry Tanner, CPA, has been CEO of Physicians Endoscopy since 1999 and co-authored the company's business plan together with CFO Karen Sablyak. The company currently owns and manages 28 endoscopy centers in partnership with physicians and hospitals. Before joining PE, Mr. Tanner held various senior executive positions in healthcare for more than 20 years, working both on the provider side and in financial services.
Vivek Taparia oversees operational initiatives and profit enhancement opportunities for Regent Surgical Health surgery centers. Most recently, he built a 20-person team and launched The Center for Ambulatory Surgery at Swedish Covenant, a seven-specialty outpatient surgery center on the north side of Chicago. Previously, he served as director of business development for Regent and oversaw strategic projects such as a corporate-wide case costing program.
Benita Tapia is the administrator for 90210 Surgery Medical Center and Precision Ambulatory Surgery Center located in Beverly Hills, Calif. Ms. Tapia leads a team of prestigious surgeons and staff with state of the art facilities which provide the highest level of patient care for ophthalmology, orthopedic, pain management and spine procedures.
Stephanie Tarry joined Nueterra in 2000 as the company's senior vice president of business development. Ms. Tarry is a licensed securities representative and has an extensive background in finance. In her role with Nueterra, she has successfully recruited many physician partners and syndicated numerous ASCs and real estate private placement offerings. Previously, Ms. Tarry was the director of treasury for a large Midwestern health system.
Larry D. Taylor is founder, president and CEO of Practice Partners in Healthcare. He has more than 30 years of experience in healthcare delivery, management and physician relations. Prior to founding Practice Partners in Healthcare, he served as president and COO of the largest provider of ambulatory surgery centers in the United States.
Jill Thrasher, CASC, is the administrator of Precision Surgery Center of Dallas, an ASCOA facility. Ms. Thrasher has held various leadership positions including business office manager with HCA and office manager of Orthopedic Associates of Dallas. She earned her BS in healthcare administration at Texas State University-San Marcos.
William Tobler, MD, is a neurological surgeon and chairman of the board of managers of The Christ Hospital Spine Surgery Center in Cincinnati. Dr. Tobler focuses on outpatient minimally invasive lumbar spine fusion, spine and brain tumors and image-guided neurosurgery. Dr. Tobler also practices as the Mayfield Clinic in Cincinnati.
Daniel J. Tomes, MD, is a neurological and spine surgeon, and president of Southwest Lincoln (Neb.) Surgery Center, a Blue Chip Surgical Partners facility. He serves on the board of directors for Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital in Lincoln and is the medical director for Gogela Neuroscience Institute, BryanLGH Medical Center in Lincoln.
Patrick Toy, MD, is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with Campbell Clinic Orthopaedics, based in Germantown, Tenn. Dr. Toy began performing direct anterior total hip replacement surgery at the Campbell Surgery Center in 2013. Dr. Toy completed his fellowship in orthopedic oncology at the University of Florida in Gainesville.
Kay Tucker is the executive director communications for the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association, a position she has held for nearly eight years. ASCA's mission is to represent ambulatory surgery centers and provide resources that assist ASCs in delivering high quality, cost effective care.
Donna Tweed is the administrator at The Endoscopy Center of Bucks County in Newton, Pa. The center is a joint venture between several physicians and Physicians Endoscopy.
Dwight Tyndall, MD, is a board-certified and fellowship-trained spine surgeon. He practices with Spine Care Specialists in Munster, Ind. Dr. Tyndall has a special interest in minimally invasive outpatient spine surgery.
Kerri Ubaldi, RN, MBA, CPHRM, is the vice president of operations with Merritt Healthcare. Ms. Ubaldi has more than 22 years of experience as a registered nurse, as well as experience in risk management and regulatory affairs. She earned her BSN from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh and her MBA from Fairfield (Conn.) University.
Arthur Valadie, MD, is the president of ASD Management-affiliated Pointe West Surgery Center and East Surgery Center, both in Bradenton, Fla. Dr. Valadie, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon, also serves as the president of Coastal Orthopedics. He completed his orthopedic sports medicine fellowship at Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic in Los Angeles.
Arnaldo Valedon, MD, is an anesthesiologist with the Orthopaedic Associates of Central Maryland Ambulatory Surgical Center in Baltimore. Dr. Valedon is also an Ambulatory Surgery Center Association board of directors member. Dr. Valedon practices with First Colonies Anesthesia Associates, based in Frederick, Md.
LoAnn Vande Leest, RN, MBA-H, CNOR, CASC, CHSP, the administrator and CEO of Northwest Michigan Surgery Center in Traverse City. Ms. Vande Leest held leadership roles in Wisconsin surgery centers for 13 years prior to joining Northwest Michigan Surgery Center. In 2014, she led the surgery center's $1.6 million expansion. She also serves as an AAAHC surveyor.
William Van Wyk, MD, is a board-certified orthopedic hand surgeon with Fort Worth (Texas) Surgery Center, a Surgical Care Affiliates ASC. Dr. Van Wyk earned his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. He underwent his residency training at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas. Dr. Van Wyk completed his fellowship training at Orthopedic Hospital in Los Angeles.
Tabitha Vaughn, RN, was named administrator of St. Charles (Mo.) Surgery Center in 2011, when it was a new facility and currently also serves as the center's clinical director. The surgery center completed its first case in 2012, and in 2013 completed 3,000 cases.
Kevin Vaught, MD, FACS, CIME, is a board-certified neurosurgeon. Dr. Vaught performs procedures at the Blue Chip Surgical Center Partners-affiliated West Park Surgery Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Dr. Vaught practices at Regional Brain and Spine in Cape Girardeau.
Andrea Venezio is a managing partner for Kaye/Bassman International. She focuses on placing CEOs, COOs, vice presidents, administrators and directors of nursing. She has placed more than 250 executives and currently focuses on the ASC industry. In 2004, she was named "Rookie of the Year" by Kaye/Bassman
Pedro Juan Vergne-Morell is the CEO of PCI | HealthDev, a Dallas-based healthcare facility construction and investment company. He develops and maintains PCI | HealthDev's corporate identity and marketing direction. Mr. Vergne-Morrell concentrates on cultivating investor relationships and partnerships. He has more than 17 years of business leadership experience. He earned his Master's in Business Administration in marketing and finance from the University of Texas at Dallas.
Pedro Vergne-Marini, MD, FACP, FACC, is the founder and vice chairman of PCI | HealthDev, formerly Physicians' Capital Investments. Prior to founding PCI | HealthDev, Dr. Vergne-Marini was the president and CEO of Dallas Nephrology Associates and chairman of the board of Renaissance Health Care. He now serves as a managing partner for several existing physician real estate partnerships.
Jonathan Vick is founder and president of ASCs Inc., which is based in Valley Center, Calif., and has assisted in development, merger and acquisition transactions for more than 250 physician-owned ASCs, endoscopy centers and surgical hospitals. He previously founded and was a principle shareholder of Surgery Center Development Corp., as well as a corporate partner for a national network of surgery and endoscopy centers.
George Violin, MD, FACS, a board-certified ophthalmologist, is one of the three founding principals of Ambulatory Surgical Centers of America. Dr. Violin has developed and owned to two ASCs and a large ophthalmology practice in eastern Massachusetts. Dr. Violin is a graduate of the Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary residency program.
Cynthia S. Vincent, RN, BSN, has been executive director of the Rex Surgery Center of Cary (N.C.) since 2010. She has 28 years of experience in the healthcare industry and in healthcare leadership in both hospital and ASC settings.
Jeffrey Visotsky, MD, FACS, is founder of the Illinois Sports Medicine & Orthopedic Surgery Center in Morton Grove, Ill. Dr. Visotsky practices with Illinois Bone and Joint Institute. He also serves as an assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at Northwestern University in Chicago.
Kara Vittetoe, CASC, is the COO of Parkway Neuroscience and Spine Institute in Hagerstown, Md. Previously, she served as the administrator of Thomas Johnson Surgery Center in Fredrick, Md. Ms. Vittetoe also has experience in the private sector of healthcare management.
Leslie Wachsman serves as the vice president of finance for Surgical Care Affiliates. Prior to SCA, Leslie served as vice president of finance at CVS Caremark. Leslie earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Kansas and a MBA from Lake Forest College.
Jack Wagner is president, CEO and director of regulatory and scientific affairs of Micro-Scientific Industries, a company focused on producing products to prevent microbial transmission in the healthcare industry.
Tamara Wagner is considered one of the strongest coders in the ASC industry. She joined National Medical Billing Services, one of the largest ASC revenue cycle management companies in the country, in 2004, and today serves as vice president of coding. In this position, Ms. Wagner is responsible for overseeing the largest coding staff in the country as well as a client with 65 locations. She also developed a training program for new coders.
L. Philipp Wall, MD, RPVI, a board-certified vascular and endovascular surgeon and registered vascular interpretation physician, is the founder of Arizona Vein and Vascular Center, a specialist practice devoted to the treatment and practice of vascular disease. In 2011, Arizona Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery (Arizona Vein and Vascular Center) became an AAAASF-accredited ambulatory surgery center.
Charles Wallace is the administrator of the Surgical Center of Connecticut in Bridgeport. Mr. Wallace has been with the center since it first opened its doors in 2013. The center is affiliated with Merritt Healthcare.
Steven R. Wardell, MD, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon, performs procedures at Orland Park (Ill.) Surgical Center, affiliated with Pinnacle III, and Palos Surgical Center in Palos Heights, Ill. Dr. Wardell has performed more than 4,000 joint replacement procedures.
Randy Ware is the president, CEO and founder of West Coast Medical Resources, a medical supplies surplus company. He is co-founder and previously served as vice president of Custom Orthotic Laboratory and has experience in the payroll processing industry.
Dorcie Wawrzynski is the co-founder of the Surgery Center Coalition, a New Jersey ASC group. She and partner Marcy Sasso serve as co-chairs of the organization, which holds an annual meeting that hosts more than 650 members. Ms. Wawrzynski has also worked as the administrator and director of nursing at May Street Surgi Center in Edison, N.J., since 2002. She is a graduate of the Charles E. Gregory School of Nursing in Old Bridge, N.J. Ms. Wawrzynski earned her BSN from Cambridge University.
Kelly Webb is vice president and general manager of the ASC billing division of MediGain. He was co-founder and former president of ASC Billing Specialists where he helped instruct, teach and guide physicians on billing decisions. He has experience as lead negotiator with medical insurance companies to receive payment on surgery billed charges for out-of-network claims.
Suzanne Webb is the ASC billing division vice president of operations at MediGain. Ms. Webb was the co-founder and COO of ASC Billing Specialists, which was acquired by MediGain. She has more than 25 years of experience in financial and operational processes.
Lowell Scott Weil Sr., DPM, is a founding member of the Foot & Ankle Surgery Center, now known as the Regenerative Surgery Center, in Des Plaines, Ill. Dr. Weil is a podiatric surgeon based in Des Plaines, Ill. He is the founding member and CEO of the 50-year-old Weil Foot & Ankle Institute with 20 locations throughout Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. He has been involved with surgery centers since the 1970s and was a partner of Northwest Surgicare in Arlington Heights, Ill., the third surgery center in the United States.
Terry Weisman serves as CEO of Denovo Development, which focuses on ground-up development of surgical centers including physicians LLC formation, real estate investment and development, operations and management. He began his career in the workers' compensation industry, developing urgent care, physical therapy and industrial medicine facilities in partnership with physicians.
Andrew Weiss, CASC, has served as the administrator of the Endo Center at Voorhees (N.J.) for more than 11 years. He is also a board member on the Board of Ambulatory Surgery Center Certification and a board member of ASCAPAC.
Michael C. Weiss, DO, FAOAO, is and orthopedic spine surgeon and chairman of the Laser Spine Institute department of surgery. Dr. Weiss leads Laser Spine Institute, which includes several ambulatory surgery centers, in surgeon training. Dr. Weiss has expertise in minimally invasive spinal fusion.
Robert Westergard, CPA, is the CFO of Ambulatory Surgical Centers of America. He previously served as the controller for Truman Capital Advisors and has experience in finance and accounting in the software, chemical and healthcare industries.
Thomas Wherry, MD, is co-founder of Total Anesthesia Solutions. He has also been medical director for the Surgery Center of Maryland in Towson and consulting medical director for Health Inventures, he has collaborated with professionals in the United Kingdom, Japan and Kuwait to improve the delivery of ambulatory surgery.
Kathleen Whitlow, BS, RNC, CASC, is the COO of Blue Chip Surgery Centers. Ms. Whitlow joined the company as a partner in 2008. She has more than 25 years of experience in healthcare. She has served as an ASC administrator, a consultant, and director of surgical services for a large national hospital system. In that position, Ms. Whitlow developed and directed outpatient and ambulatory surgery programs.
William Wilcox has served as CEO of USPI since April 2004. The company currently owns and operates outpatient surgical facilities across the United States and United Kingdom. More than half of the facilities in the United States are jointly owned facilities with nonprofit healthcare systems and hospitals.
John Williams, MD, is a physician-owner of the ASD Management-affiliated Strictly Pediatrics Surgery Center in Austin, Texas. Dr. Williams is a board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon. He practices at Central Texas Pediatric Orthopedics.
Scott Williams, CASC, has been administrator at Carnegie Hill Endoscopy in New York since 2011, prior to the center's 2012 opening. The center is a joint venture between Physicians Endoscopy and Mount Sinai/Beth Israel Medical Center in New York.
Robert Wills, MD, a pain management physician, is co-founder and chief medical officer of Arise Healthcare. In addition to his work with Arise Healthcare, Dr. Wills has founded Austin Pain Associates, which is now one of the largest pain management practices in Austin. Dr. Wills also has experience in real estate.
John C. Wilson Jr., is CEO of Meridian Surgical Partners, a role he assumed in October 2013. He previously served as CFO of the company. He has also served as COO of Xtensia, a revenue cycle management company and executive vice president of finance and operations for Working Rx, a workers' compensation pharmacy services company and formerly a division of Medifax-EDI. He is a certified public accountant and has more than six years of experience in public accounting.
John Wipfler, JD, MBA, is CEO of OA Centers for Orthopedics in Portland, Maine, which includes an ambulatory surgery center. He has held the position since 2006 and previously served as CEO of Eyecare Medical Group in Portland. His additional experience includes time as executive director and general counsel of the Maine Health Care Finance Commission.
Craig Witz, MD, a board-certified OB/GYN, physician performs procedures at Piney Point Surgery Center in Houston, a Vivere Health-affiliated surgery center. Dr. Witz also serves as the director of clinical research at Houston Fertility Institute. He has done extensive research in the area of endometriosis.
Richard N.W. Wohns, MD, JD, MBA, is founder and president of NeoSpine and Microsurgical Spine Center in Puyallup, Wash. He is a pioneer of outpatient spine surgery and founded the company NeoSpine in 2001 to develop a national network of outpatient spine surgery centers, which was acquired by Symbion in 2008. He was among the first United States neurosurgeons qualified to perform the eXtreme Lateral Interbody Fusion for minimally invasive lumbar fusions and has performed more than 3,000 outpatient cervical and lumbar surgeries.
Kimberly Wood, MD, is co-chair of the ASC Quality Collaboration. She is also the founder of kmdWOOD, which provides consulting services to the ASC industry. She has participated in several collaborative and cooperative initiatives, including the ASC Advocacy Committee and the ASC Coalition.
Terry Woodbeck is the CEO of Tulsa (Okla.) Spine & Specialty Hospital. He has more than 30 years of healthcare experience, including physician practice management, clinic administration and research in the field of capitation rates and managed care contracting. He previously served as CEO of Oklahoma Spine and Brain Institute in Tulsa.
Andrea Woodell is Regent Surgical Health's director of managed care. She negotiates payer contracts on behalf of the company's facilities. Ms. Woodell has more than 20 years of experience in negotiating on the behalf of healthcare providers. She has served as a consultant for surgical hospitals, surgery centers, physician professional agreements and imaging centers. She earned her BA at St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y.
Kim Woodruff is the vice president of corporate finance and compliance for Pinnacle III. Ms. Woodruff joined Pinnacle III in 2003 and launched the company's centralized billing office a year later. She assumed her current position in 2008. She is an active member of the Healthcare Billing Management Association and Health Care Compliance Association.
Jay N. Yepuri, MD, is a member of the board of directors for the Digestive Health Associates of Texas and vice president of the Texas Ambulatory Surgery Center Society. He is active in the ASC industry and has traveled to Washington, D.C. to lobby Congress. Dr. Yepuri is also an AAAHC surveyor and serves as councilor of the Texas Society for Gastroenterology and Endoscopy and is a delegate for TSGE to the Texas Medical Association.
Anthony Yeung, MD, is a board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon and founder of the Desert Institute for Spine Care in Phoenix. Dr Yeung developed the FDA-approved Yeung Endoscopic Spine System. He was one of the first surgeons to utilized endoscopically guided lasers for degenerative conditions of the lumbar spine.
Cindy Young, RN, BSN, CASC, is the administrative director of Farmington (Mo.) Surgery Center. Ms. Young is also an Ambulatory Surgery Center Association board member.
Chip Zahn is a vice president of operations with Surgical Care Affiliates, a position he has held for nearly two years. Previously, he was the COO of Las Colinas Medical Center in Irving, Texas. He also has experience in administration and COO development at Lakeview Regional Medical Center in Covington, La.
David Zarin, MD, FACS, is one of the founding partners of Texas ENT Specialists in Houston and served on the board of directors at USPI, where he is currently national medical director. Dr. Zarin is currently the chairman of the board and chief of staff at TOPS Surgical Specialty Hospital and serves in the Expert Group of the ASC Quality Collaboration.
Joseph Zasa, JD, is the co-founder and managing partner of ASD Management. Founded in 1986, the company is one of the oldest continually operating surgery center companies, with more than 125 surgery centers developed and managed over the last 26 years. In addition to his work with ASD Management, Mr. Zasa is the former president of the Texas Ambulatory Surgery Center Society. He also serves on the board of the ASC Advocacy Committee.
Robert Zasa is co-founder and managing partner of ASD Management, which is a national healthcare services firm that consults with physicians, physician groups and hospitals to develop and manage ambulatory surgery businesses. In the early 1990s, Mr. Zasa founded and served as president and CEO of Premier Ambulatory Systems, a firm that acquired, developed, owned and operated ambulatory surgery centers across the United States.
Monica Ziegler, MSN, CASC, is the administrator of Physicians Surgical Center in Lebanon, Pa., and Center for Specialized Surgery in Bethlehem, Pa. She gained the responsibility of an additional center, The Center for Specialized Surgery in Bethlehem, Pa., in 2011. Ms. Zeigler also serves as the president of the Pennsylvania Ambulatory Surgery Association.
Becky Ziegler-Otis, RHIA, CPHQ, CHC, CASC, is the administrator of the Ambulatory Surgical Center of Stevens Point (Wis.). Prior to her current role, Ms. Ziegler-Otis was the policy manager of Klasinski Clinic and administrative director of process effectiveness and compliance officer at Bay Area Medical Center. She earned her BA from the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minn.
Jeffrey Zilberfarb, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon at New England Baptist Hospital (NEBH). Dr. Zilberfarb holds a Certificate of Added Qualification in Sports Medicine, and specializes in minimally invasive shoulder, elbow, knee and ankle surgery, as well as total shoulder replacement surgery. In addition to his work at NEBH, he holds an academic appointment at Harvard Medical School, where he teaches medical students and orthopedic surgery residents.
Eric Zimmerman, JD, is a partner in the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery, based in its Washington, D.C., office. Mr. Zimmerman also serves as principal of McDermott+Consulting. He is an authority on Medicare law and policy. He focuses on counseling ASCs, health systems and other healthcare providers.
J.A. Ziskind is founder, president and CEO of Global Surgical Partners, which currently manages nine surgical centers in Florida and Mississippi. He has been involved in Florida's healthcare industry since the 1970s, and has previously served as CEO of Miami's Cedars Medical Center. Mr. Ziskind co-founded and was general counsel to the Florida Society of Ambulatory Surgical Centers, served on the Pan American hospital board of directors and has served as general counsel to the Dade County Medical Association for more than two decades.
Greg Zoch is managing director with Kaye/Bassman, where he has marketed healthcare organizations and been involved in recruitment. His primary focus is on the strategic growth and staffing initiatives of client companies that develop, manage, consult with or own and operate ASCs and specialty hospitals.