Sami Abbasi (National Surgical Care). Mr. Abbasi serves as chairman and CEO of National Surgical Care. He previously served as co-founder, president and CEO of Radiologix, a leading national provider of diagnostic imaging services, until the company's sale to RadNet in Nov. 2006. He also served as COO and CFO of Adminiquest, a web-enabled, full-service outsourcing solutions provider to the insurance and benefits industry. Mr. Abbasi was a vice president in the healthcare group of Robertson Stephens and CitiGroup. He currently serves on the board of directors of Behringer Harvard Multifamily REIT and American CareSource Holdings. Mr. Abbasi earned an MBA from the University of Rochester (N.Y.).
David "Buddy" F. Bacon Jr. (Meridian Surgical Partners). Mr. Bacon has more than 22 years of experience in the healthcare sector and is a founder and the CEO of Meridian Surgical Partners. From 1996-2003, Mr. Bacon was the CEO, and previously as CFO, for Medifax-EDI, a healthcare information technology company based in Nashville. In 2001, the company was acquired by Crescent Capital in Atlanta for $117 million. At that time, Mr. Bacon was promoted to CEO of Medifax-EDI and grew the company until it was sold to WebMD in 2003. Prior to Medifax-EDI, Mr. Bacon worked in public accounting with Lattimore, Black, Morgan & Cain. He is a graduate of David Lipscomb College in Nashville and is a certified public accountant.
Robert J. Carrera (Pinnacle III). Mr. Carrera is the president of Pinnacle III. With more than 20 years of healthcare experience, he has spent the last 15 years developing and managing ASCs, physical/occupational rehabilitation centers, diagnostic imaging facilities and occupational medicine clinics nationally. Mr. Carrera has been active legislatively at the state level regarding issues affecting ASCs in Colorado, Minnesota and Utah. He formerly served as the Colorado Ambulatory Surgery Center Association's vice president and was one of its founding members.
Ravi Chopra (The C/N Group). Prior to founding The C/N Group in 1980, Mr. Chopra served in various executive management positions in the steel industry, including chief industrial engineer for Youngstown Steel (now International Steel Group) and director of engineering services for Wisconsin Steel (now Envirodyne Industries). He holds a BS in mechanical engineering from Punjab Engineering College in Chandigarh, India; an MS in electrical engineering from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Okla.; and an MBA from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. Mr. Chopra's sons, Raman Chopra and Rajiv Chopra, work as CIO and director of strategic planning, respectively, for the company.
James Cobb (Orion Medical Services). Mr. Cobb is founder, president and CEO of Orion Medical Services. With more than 38 years in management, Mr. Cobb has primarily focused the last 25 years of his career in the medical field. In the past 12 years, he has developed, constructed and managed seven high-volume ASCs. He previously served as CEO for the Pacific Cataract Laser Institute and Pacific Eye Center. He is a member of the Medical Group Management Association and began his healthcare career as an assistant business manager for a practice comprised of 25 radiologists in 1980. On a personal note, Mr. Cobb holds a private pilot's license and is a member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.
R. Blake Curd, MD (Surgical Management Professionals). Prior to accepting the interim CEO position at SMP, Dr. Curd served as chairman of the board from 2005 and vice chair from 2003-2005. He also serves as a member of the acquisition committee for Medical Facilities Corp. A hand and microvascular surgeon at the Orthopedic Institute in Sioux Falls, S.D., Dr. Curd was the chairman of orthopedic surgery at Avera McKenan Hospital and University Health Center in Sioux Falls from 2003-2004. Dr. Curd currently is a member of the South Dakota House of Representatives and is running for a Congressional seat. He is a veteran of the Persian Gulf War.
Richard DeHart (Pinncale III). Mr. DeHart has more than 20 years of experience in the outpatient healthcare industry and currently serves as CEO of Pinnacle III. He began his healthcare career as a certified athletic trainer in professional baseball. He then joined the sports medicine team at Alabama Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center in Birmingham. He later moved to an administrative role where he provided operational services for multiple outpatient rehabilitation facilities. Prior to co-founding Pinnacle III in 1999, Mr. DeHart oversaw the management of 14 surgery centers in five states for one of the nation's largest publicly traded healthcare companies.
Richard Francis Jr. (Symbion). At Symbion, Mr. Francis serves as chairman and CEO, overseeing the company's more than 70 short-stay surgical facilities across 27 states. Prior to the formation of Symbion, Mr. Francis served as president and CEO of UniPhy, an operator of multi-specialty clinics, independent practice associations and related outpatient services. Earlier in his career, he was the senior vice president of development for HealthTrust, where he also served as a regional vice president with responsibility for the operations of 11 hospitals in five states.
Jon H. Friesen (Foundation Surgery Affiliates). Mr. Friesen has served as president of Foundation Surgery Affiliates since Jan. 2009. He previously served as CFO and chief strategic planning officer of FSA's parent company, Foundation HealthCare Affiliates. In Jan. 2009, FHA spun off FSA in order to create a subsidiary focused exclusively on the management and development of ASCs. Mr. Friesen began his career with KPMG Peat Marwick and has spent the last 20 years in the healthcare industry where he has served in such progressive management positions as CFO, COO and CEO of various managed healthcare organizations.
Tom Galouzis, MD (Nikitis Resource Group). Dr. Galouzis is CEO of Nikitis and a practicing board-certified general surgeon in northwest Indiana. He previously was as a member of the department of surgery at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. Since 1999, Dr. Galouzis has served as president of Lake Park Surgicare in Hobart, Ind. He has also served as president of Lake-Porter Ambulatory Surgery, a physician holding company for physician joint ventures since 1999. He is president of Lakeshore Surgicare, in Chesterton, Ind.
Gregory George, MD, PhD (SurgCenter Development). Dr. George is founding principal of SurgCenter Development and a practicing ophthalmologist. He graduated from M.I.T., received his medical degree and a PhD in ocular physiology from Duke University in Durham, N.C. Under Dr. George's leadership, SurgCenter Development has developed over 60 physician-owned ASCs.
John Hajjar, MD, FACS, MBA (Surgem). Dr. Hajjar, CEO of Surgem, is a urologist who developed one of the first ASCs in New Jersey at Fair Lawn and has been managing facilities since 1992. Dr. Hajjar also operates one of the largest private urology practices in the United States, with 17 physicians in 11 locations. He also participates in and performs surgery at two of Surgem's locations. Dr. Hajjar studied medicine at Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C., and completed his surgical and urological training at New York University Medical Center in New York City.
Thomas Hall (NovaMed). Mr. Hall, chairman, president and CEO of NovaMed, previously served as president and CEO of Matria Healthcare, which provides disease management programs to health plans and employers, after having joined Matria as executive vice president and COO. Mr. Hall has also served as president and CEO of TSH & Associates, an independent consulting and management services company. He held several executive positions at ADP TotalSource, a division of Automated Data Processing, and served in senior management positions with Riscorp, an insurance holding company, and USAir Express/Chautauqua Airlines. He holds an MBA from Clarkson University in Potsdam, N.Y.
Richard Hanley (Health Inventures). Mr. Hanley, president and CEO of Health Inventures, has been in the healthcare business for more than 30 years and has extensive experience relating to the planning, organization, development and management of healthcare services and products. He was a founding partner in 1995 of Horizon Health Services, which was acquired by Johnson & Johnson Health Care Systems. He also served as president and CEO of Surgical Partners of America, a wholly owned subsidiary of Vivra. Mr. Hanley has also been responsible for development activities and operations of the Sutter Ambulatory Care Corp. and managed the day-to-day clinic operations for the Medical Center of Sacramento. He holds a master's degree in healthcare from the University of Minnesota.
Andrew Hayek (Surgical Care Affiliates). Mr. Hayek serves as president and CEO and a member of the board of directors of SCA. Prior to SCA, he served as president of a division of DaVita Inc., a $6 billion publicly traded renal dialysis company, and as president and CEO of Alliance Healthcare Services Inc., a $500 million publicly traded diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy company. Mr. Hayek worked previously for Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., a global private equity firm, and the Boston Consulting Group, a leading strategy and operations consulting firm. He serves on the board of directors of Senior Home Care, a home healthcare company, and earned a bachelor of arts degree summa cum laude (highest honors) from Yale University.
Edward Hetrick (Facility Development & Management). Mr. Hetrick, president and CEO of Facility Development & Management, has over 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry, the last 15 in the ASC industry. He has held management positions at major teaching institutions in the New York metropolitan area as well as a consulting position within the healthcare division of a big six accounting firm. Prior to founding FDM, Mr. Hetrick was vice president at Healthcare Facilities Management, a firm that specializes in reimbursement consulting for physicians and outpatient hospital accounts. He continues in this position today. He was also the director of operations management and operating room administrator at a major teaching institution in New York. Mr. Hetrick holds an MBA and a master's in public health in hospital administration from Columbia University.
Christopher Holden (AmSurg). Mr. Holden, AmSurg's president and CEO, is a healthcare industry veteran of more than 21 years, working most of his career directly in multi-facility and multi-market healthcare management. Prior to joining AmSurg, Mr. Holden served as senior vice president and a division president of Triad Hospitals, where he was a founding team member and officer in May 1999. From Aug. 1994-May 1999, Mr. Holden held several officer positions with Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corp. He holds a master's in healthcare administration and a law degree from Washington University.
Jeremy Hogue, JD (Sovereign Healthcare). In addition to serving as CEO of Sovereign, Mr. Hogue manages and consults with numerous healthcare ventures and physician practices. Prior to co-founding Sovereign, Mr. Hogue was vice president of Audax Group, a $1-billion private equity investment firm where he launched and ran the firm's West Coast office and directed investments into several early-stage and middle-market businesses. Prior to Audax Group, he was an associate with Lehman Brothers, where he was a member of the firm's investment banking group. Mr. Hogue received his juris doctorate from Harvard Law School and his MBA from the University of Southern California. Mr. Hogue was an All-American offensive lineman at USC and authors a column for the website WeAreSC.com, an ESPN affiliate.
Richard K. Jacques (Covenant Surgical Partners). Mr. Jacques, president and CEO of Covenant Surgical Partners, has over 15 years in the ASC industry, including senior management positions with both public and private healthcare companies. He was president and director of Surgical Health Group, a developer and manager of single and limited specialty surgery centers. Prior to that, Mr. Jacques was vice president of business development for AmSurg Corp. and was integral in the development of the system and methodology that AmSurg used to acquire or develop almost 100 ASCs during his time with them.
Marc Jang (Titan Health). Mr. Jang, president, CEO and founder of Titan Health, has held executive positions in healthcare for almost 20 years. Since 1991, his focus has been specifically in ASCs. His experience encompasses finance, mergers and acquisitions, and development and operations. Mr. Jang served as vice president of finance for Sutter Surgery Centers and regional vice president for ASC Network.
Brent Lambert, MD (Ambulatory Surgical Center of America). Dr. Lambert is the chairman of the board and a founder of Ambulatory Surgical Centers of America. He is a board-certified ophthalmologist and responsible for business development at ASCOA. Prior to the founding of ASCOA, Dr. Lambert was the developer and owner of three ASCs, including the first eye ASC in New England. He is a graduate of Harvard College, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary residency program.
Luke Lambert, CFA (Ambulatory Surgical Centers of America). Mr. Lambert came to ASCOA, first as its CFO in 1997 and then becoming its CEO in 2002, with a broad background in finance, strategy and operations. Mr. Lambert previously worked for Smith Barney in international sell-side equity research and at Booz, Allen & Hamilton and Ernst & Young, where he consulted with entities starting new ventures, entering new markets and reengineering business processes. Mr. Lambert is a graduate of Harvard College where he studied economics, and he obtained his MBA from the Columbia Graduate School of Business. Mr. Lambert was also among the first to earn the CASC designation in 2002.
Jared Leger (Arise Healthcare). Mr. Leger, managing partner of Arise, previously served as an executive director for a large physician group practice and ancillary services that included behavioral health and physical therapy services. He has syndicated and operated a physician-owned surgery center and a functional restoration program. Mr. Leger has a medical device sales background and currently holds a RN license as well as the CASC designation. Mr. Leger also been a partners in a privately held healthcare management company and current owns a real estate investment company based out of Austin, Texas.
Scott Leggett (Surgery One). Mr. Leggett is CEO of Surgery One, which manages four multi-specialty ASCs in the San Diego area. His has more than 17 years of experience in orthopedics and holds a master's degree in exercise and sports science from the University of Florida in Gainesville. He has also been featured on a series of educational videos on healthcare employment and interviewing on the career resource and job seeker website, www.jobing.com.
Jeff Leland (Blue Chip Surgical Center Partners). Mr. Leland, managing partner of Blue Chip, previously served as executive director of Lutheran General Medical Group, a 260-physician, multi-specialty medical group located in Chicago. He was once a senior-level executive with Advocate Health Care in Chicago, responsible for both business development and Advocate's 225,000-member health plan. He also served as vice president with ASCOA, president of HealthSpring Medical Group and as CEO of Western Ohio Health Care, an HMO with 200,000-plus members.
Mike Lipomi (RMC MedStone). Mr. Lipomi, president of RMC MedStone, has more than 30 years of experience in hospital and ambulatory surgery facility management. He started his career with American Medical International at El Cajon Valley Hospital in San Diego. Mr. Lipomi also served as CEO of Stanislaus Surgical Hospital in Modesto, Calif., which he grew from a small surgery center into a leading specialty hospital. He spent six years on the board of directors of the organization formerly known as FASA, three terms on the board of directors and two terms as president of the California Ambulatory Surgery Association and served on the board of directors of Physician Hospitals of America for the past seven years, including two years as president, and is the former chair the PHA's legislative committee.
Rodney Lunn (Surgical Health Group). Over the past 17 years, Mr. Lunn, CEO of Surgical Health Group, has developed more than 150 ASCs throughout the United States. He was a founder of AmSurg Corp., where he served as a director and as the senior vice president responsible for development of de nova centers, and started Practice Development Associates. Mr. Lunn has served as controller for MEDINC and as vice president of finance and CFO of American Medical Centers, an owner and manager of acute-care hospitals. He also has experience in the HMO industry, having previously served as CFO of INA (now Cigna) Healthplan of Texas and vice president of HealthAmerica of Florida.
Thomas Mallon (Regent Surgical Health). Before founding Regent in 2001, Mr. Mallon served as a founding member and remains a general partner with Gryffindor Capital Partners, a Chicago-based venture-capital fund. In 1994, he co-founded Same Day Surgery, which acquired five distressed and underutilized ASCs and a physician management company. Before his healthcare ventures, Mr. Mallon worked for 12 years in commercial office leasing for national firms. During his years as manager for the Miglin-Beitler leasing team, the Chicago Sun-Times selected the firm as Property Manager of the Year. Mr. Mallon holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Thomas A. Michaud (Foundation Hospital Affiliates). Prior to founding Foundation HealthCare Affiliates in Jan. 1996, Mr. Michaud held the positions of COO and CFO of a regional surgery center management company. In Jan. 2009, Foundation HealthCare launched two subsidiaries — Foundation Hospital Affiliates and Foundation Surgery Affiliates. Mr. Michaud serves as CEO for the hospital company and chairman of the parent company. During his career, has also developed bariatric centers. Other experience includes that of partner in a local CPA firm, COO of a regional wholesale company, along with holding of the upper management positions of manager of management information systems as well as manager of materials at an aerospace company. Mr. Michaud is a CPA, which he earned while serving as a staff accountant with Ernst & Young.
Krystal Mims (Texas Health Partners). Prior to becoming president of Texas Health Partners, Ms. Mims served as CFO for Physician's Medical Center, a specialty hospital in Plano, Texas; Southlake Specialty Hospital in Southlake, Texas; and Presbyterian Hospital of Rockwall in Rockwall, Texas, until August 2007. Her background in healthcare began in physician practice management. She was CFO for Texas Back Institute for three years, CFO of Practice Performance and administrator of Steadman Hawkins' Denver clinic. Ms. Mims served as secretary and CFO of Parker Road Surgery Center when Texas Health Partners formed this Dallas joint venture in 1994. Ms. Mims is also a CPA and began her career with KPMG Peat Marwick.
Kris Mineau (Constitution Surgery Centers). Mr. Mineau co-founded CSC in 1997 and has led the company's growth over the past 10 years. With surgery centers in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, CSC's partnerships extend to over 200 physicians and three hospitals. Prior to founding CSC, Mr. Mineau was a pilot in the United States Air Force. He commanded several different types of aircrafts flying a variety of missions worldwide. Mr. Mineau received a bachelor's degree in management from The United States Air Force Academy in 1988. He is involved in numerous professional organizations including the Connecticut Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers, where he served as its founding president.
Fred W. Ortmann III (Ortmann Healthcare Consultants). Mr. Ortmann, founder and CEO of Ortmann Healthcare Consultants, has more than 17 years of experience developing ASCs. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of South Carolina and his MHA from Baylor University. He was then commissioned in the USAF Medical Service Corps and served in a variety of positions during a 22-year career. Mr. Ortmann retired as a colonel in 1989 and began his private career as an administrator with Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque, N.M. After two years, he was asked to join the initial staff of AmSurg Corp., and served as its vice president for center development. He left AmSurg in 2001 and founded Ortmann Healthcare Consultants. He has also served as a consultant to Olympus America.
Lori Ramirez (Elite Surgical Affiliates). Ms. Ramirez has more than 12 years' experience in surgical development, operations and management. Prior to founding Elite Surgical Affiliates in Jan. 2008, she was a senior vice president of United Surgical Partners International where she was directly responsible for developing the second-largest network of surgical facilities for USPI in Houston. In this role, Ms. Ramirez oversaw 20-plus surgical facilities. Ms. Ramirez also has extensive experience in joint venturing with health systems such as Memorial Hermann in Houston and CHRISTUS Health System in South Texas.
John Rex-Waller (National Surgical Hospitals). Prior to his work as chairman, president and CEO of NSH, Mr. Rex-Waller was CFO of Hawk Medical Supply, a provider of disposable medical supplies to physicians. Previously he was the CFO and a co-founder of National Surgery Centers, which became one of the largest independent owners and operators of surgery centers in the country. He has been an investment banker, has an MBA from the University of Chicago and is a Rhodes Scholar.
J. Michael Ribaudo, MD (Surgical Synergies). Dr. Ribaudo has more than 27 years of experience as a surgeon, healthcare executive and real estate developer. He is a leader in the development of physician-owned ASCs and has served as executive vice president of Surgical Health Corp. and HealthSouth Surgery Centers. He currently serves on the board of directors for Flow International and chairs its compensation committee. He is also co-founder of Surgical Anesthesia Services. Dr. Ribaudo graduated from Louisiana State Medical School with graduate medical school training at Emory University, Washington University and New York University. He has received postgraduate training at Harvard Law School, Kellogg Business School and Stanford Graduate School of Business.
John Schario (Nueterra Healthcare). Mr. Schario currently serves as CEO of Nueterra. Prior to joining Nueterra in 2001, Mr. Schario spent 20 years as an executive of a major Midwestern integrated health system. His background includes building physician referral networks, managing acute-care hospitals and the development and operation of surgery centers and imaging facilities. Mr. Schario earned an MBA from Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Mo. He is also an active member of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Donald Schellpfeffer, MD (Medical Facilities Corp.). Dr. Schellpfeffer has over 18 years of experience in ambulatory surgical environments and 22 years in general, cardiovascular and trauma practices. In addition to serving as CEO of MFC, he is currently medical director of Sioux Falls Surgical Center, which he co-founded, and president of Anesthesia Associates, the largest anesthesia services provider in South Dakota. As an original founder of the Sioux Falls Surgical Center, Dr. Schellpfeffer has been its medical director and a member of the management committee since 1985.
Caryl A. Serbin, RN, BSN, LHRM (Surgery Consultants of America). Ms. Serbin has more than 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry, with the last 18 years spent in ambulatory surgery administration and consulting. She is also the founder and CEO of Serbin Surgery Center Billing. Her background includes time with Nashville-based Surgical Care Affiliates. Earlier in her career, her responsibilities included the administrative, clinical and reimbursement oversight of the outpatient department of a leading Florida hospital.
Bill Simon (Innovative Healthcare Management). Prior to becoming president and founder of Innovative Healthcare in 1995, Mr. Simon developed the Pain & Rehabilitation Medical Group, a 7,000-square-foot outpatient facility located in the South Bay of Los Angeles. He holds a bachelor's degree in finance, as well as a juris doctorate, and is currently a member of the State Bar of California.
William Southwick (HealthMark Partners). Prior to founding the surgery center division of HealthMark, which later became the sole business for HealthMark Partners, Mr. Southwick founded Southwick Financial Associates. Through merger, Southwick Financial Associates managed over $100 million in client assets and assisted large family businesses with succession planning for multigenerational growth. In 1996, Mr. Southwick helped start HealthMark Partners (formerly Women's Health Partners) — the current parent corporation to Surgical Health Partners. He holds certifications as a Certified Life Underwriter and Chartered Financial Consultant.
Barry Tanner (Physicians Endoscopy). Mr. Tanner is president and CEO of Physicians Endoscopy. Before joining PE, Mr. Tanner was the co-founder, CFO and COO of Navix Radiology Systems in Miami, which he helped found. Over a period of four years, Mr. Tanner contributed to building the company from zero to over $75 million in revenues, including the acquisition of seven professional radiology practices and orchestrating the acquisition and financing of a major diagnostics company. Mr. Tanner also served as COO of HealthInfusion, a Miami-based provider of home intravenous therapy services.
Larry Taylor (Practice Partners). Mr. Taylor has 26 years of experience in healthcare delivery, management and physician relations. Prior to founding Practice Partners, he served as president and COO of one of the largest providers of ASC services in the United States. As a certified athletic trainer, his initial entry into healthcare was focused in the delivery of sports medicine and orthopedic care. He has had responsibilities for multiple healthcare sites across the United States and United Kingdom over the course of his career. He also serves as an adjunct professor in healthcare at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Larry Teuber, MD (Medical Facilities Corp.). Dr. Teuber is president of Medical Facilities Corp. and founder and physician executive of Black Hills Surgery Center, one of the country's most successful small surgical hospitals. He is a board-certified neurological surgeon and the founder and managing partner of The Spine Center in Rapid Falls, S.D. Dr. Teuber earned his medical degree from the University of South Dakota in Vermillion. He then completed his general surgery internship and neurosurgery residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Dr. Teuber also served for 17 years in the active and reserve Army as an aviation and medical officer, retiring with the rank of major after serving in Desert Storm.
George Tinawi, MD (Surgery Center Partners). Dr. Tinawi co-founded Surgery Center Partners and its management subsidiary, Endoscopy Management Services Organization, with Samuel Marcus, MD, in 1997. Prior to that, he was a practicing physician in Mountain View, Calif. Dr. Tinawi currently serves as president of the company. He is a graduate of the Medical School of University of Aleppo in Syria. Dr. Tinawi completed his residency in internal medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medicine Program and his fellowship in gastroenterology at the University of Southern California. He is board certified in both internal medicine and gastroenterology.
William Wilcox (United Surgical Partners International). Prior to joining USPI as president and a director in 1998 — he was named CEO in 2004 — Mr. Wilcox served as CEO of United Dental Care. He also previously served as president of the Surgery Group of HCA and president and CEO of the ambulatory surgery division of HCA. Mr. Wilcox also served as president, COO and a director of Medical Care International.
Donald Wilson (Cirrus Health). Prior to founding one of Cirrus' predecessors in 1996, Mr. Wilson, now CEO of Cirrus Health, developed an extensive commercial real estate portfolio in various locations across Texas and surrounding states. Over the last 10 years, Mr. Wilson's focus has been exclusively devoted to the development of medical operations platforms and medically oriented real estate projects. In addition to his work in medical operations, Mr. Wilson has participated in more than 40 medical real estate development projects including ASCs, specialty surgical hospitals, acute-care hospitals, medical office buildings, primary care clinics, radiation oncology units and other complex medical facilities. Mr. Wilson earned a bachelor of business administration from the University of Texas.
Tom Yerden (TRY Health Care Solutions). Mr. Yerden has more than 28 years of experience spanning the development of 70 surgery centers and the founding of Aspen Healthcare in 1992, which he sold to a national firm in 2005. Prior to forming Aspen Healthcare, Mr. Yerden held COO and CEO positions in several healthcare systems and large physician group practices where he developed outpatient surgery centers and new outpatient surgical delivery systems. He hosts an ASC governing board retreat program in Salmon, Idaho. In addition, he is a national speaker and author on ASC issues.
Joseph Zasa, JD (ASD Management). Prior to co-founding ASD Management (formerly Woodrum/ASD) in 1996, Mr. Zasa served as corporate counsel for Premier Ambulatory Systems. He has published numerous articles on ambulatory surgery operations, development and management. He also previously served as regional director of surgery center operations for ProSurg, a division of American Ophthalmic. He received his juris doctorate from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va., and he is a member of the Virginia State Bar.
J.A. Ziskind (Global Surgical Partners). Mr. Ziskind, president and CEO of Global Surgical Partners, has been a healthcare attorney since 1984 and involved in Florida's healthcare industry since the 1970s. Prior to founding Global Surgical Partners, Mr. Ziskind served as CEO of Cedars Medical Center in Miami. He has also served as general counsel to the Dade County Medical Association since and was co-founder and served as general counsel to the Florida Society of Ambulatory Surgical Centers. He has also served on the board of directors for Mercy Hospital Foundation and the Pan American Hospital, both in Miami.
David "Buddy" F. Bacon Jr. (Meridian Surgical Partners). Mr. Bacon has more than 22 years of experience in the healthcare sector and is a founder and the CEO of Meridian Surgical Partners. From 1996-2003, Mr. Bacon was the CEO, and previously as CFO, for Medifax-EDI, a healthcare information technology company based in Nashville. In 2001, the company was acquired by Crescent Capital in Atlanta for $117 million. At that time, Mr. Bacon was promoted to CEO of Medifax-EDI and grew the company until it was sold to WebMD in 2003. Prior to Medifax-EDI, Mr. Bacon worked in public accounting with Lattimore, Black, Morgan & Cain. He is a graduate of David Lipscomb College in Nashville and is a certified public accountant.
Robert J. Carrera (Pinnacle III). Mr. Carrera is the president of Pinnacle III. With more than 20 years of healthcare experience, he has spent the last 15 years developing and managing ASCs, physical/occupational rehabilitation centers, diagnostic imaging facilities and occupational medicine clinics nationally. Mr. Carrera has been active legislatively at the state level regarding issues affecting ASCs in Colorado, Minnesota and Utah. He formerly served as the Colorado Ambulatory Surgery Center Association's vice president and was one of its founding members.
Ravi Chopra (The C/N Group). Prior to founding The C/N Group in 1980, Mr. Chopra served in various executive management positions in the steel industry, including chief industrial engineer for Youngstown Steel (now International Steel Group) and director of engineering services for Wisconsin Steel (now Envirodyne Industries). He holds a BS in mechanical engineering from Punjab Engineering College in Chandigarh, India; an MS in electrical engineering from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Okla.; and an MBA from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. Mr. Chopra's sons, Raman Chopra and Rajiv Chopra, work as CIO and director of strategic planning, respectively, for the company.
James Cobb (Orion Medical Services). Mr. Cobb is founder, president and CEO of Orion Medical Services. With more than 38 years in management, Mr. Cobb has primarily focused the last 25 years of his career in the medical field. In the past 12 years, he has developed, constructed and managed seven high-volume ASCs. He previously served as CEO for the Pacific Cataract Laser Institute and Pacific Eye Center. He is a member of the Medical Group Management Association and began his healthcare career as an assistant business manager for a practice comprised of 25 radiologists in 1980. On a personal note, Mr. Cobb holds a private pilot's license and is a member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.
R. Blake Curd, MD (Surgical Management Professionals). Prior to accepting the interim CEO position at SMP, Dr. Curd served as chairman of the board from 2005 and vice chair from 2003-2005. He also serves as a member of the acquisition committee for Medical Facilities Corp. A hand and microvascular surgeon at the Orthopedic Institute in Sioux Falls, S.D., Dr. Curd was the chairman of orthopedic surgery at Avera McKenan Hospital and University Health Center in Sioux Falls from 2003-2004. Dr. Curd currently is a member of the South Dakota House of Representatives and is running for a Congressional seat. He is a veteran of the Persian Gulf War.
Richard DeHart (Pinncale III). Mr. DeHart has more than 20 years of experience in the outpatient healthcare industry and currently serves as CEO of Pinnacle III. He began his healthcare career as a certified athletic trainer in professional baseball. He then joined the sports medicine team at Alabama Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center in Birmingham. He later moved to an administrative role where he provided operational services for multiple outpatient rehabilitation facilities. Prior to co-founding Pinnacle III in 1999, Mr. DeHart oversaw the management of 14 surgery centers in five states for one of the nation's largest publicly traded healthcare companies.
Richard Francis Jr. (Symbion). At Symbion, Mr. Francis serves as chairman and CEO, overseeing the company's more than 70 short-stay surgical facilities across 27 states. Prior to the formation of Symbion, Mr. Francis served as president and CEO of UniPhy, an operator of multi-specialty clinics, independent practice associations and related outpatient services. Earlier in his career, he was the senior vice president of development for HealthTrust, where he also served as a regional vice president with responsibility for the operations of 11 hospitals in five states.
Jon H. Friesen (Foundation Surgery Affiliates). Mr. Friesen has served as president of Foundation Surgery Affiliates since Jan. 2009. He previously served as CFO and chief strategic planning officer of FSA's parent company, Foundation HealthCare Affiliates. In Jan. 2009, FHA spun off FSA in order to create a subsidiary focused exclusively on the management and development of ASCs. Mr. Friesen began his career with KPMG Peat Marwick and has spent the last 20 years in the healthcare industry where he has served in such progressive management positions as CFO, COO and CEO of various managed healthcare organizations.
Tom Galouzis, MD (Nikitis Resource Group). Dr. Galouzis is CEO of Nikitis and a practicing board-certified general surgeon in northwest Indiana. He previously was as a member of the department of surgery at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. Since 1999, Dr. Galouzis has served as president of Lake Park Surgicare in Hobart, Ind. He has also served as president of Lake-Porter Ambulatory Surgery, a physician holding company for physician joint ventures since 1999. He is president of Lakeshore Surgicare, in Chesterton, Ind.
Gregory George, MD, PhD (SurgCenter Development). Dr. George is founding principal of SurgCenter Development and a practicing ophthalmologist. He graduated from M.I.T., received his medical degree and a PhD in ocular physiology from Duke University in Durham, N.C. Under Dr. George's leadership, SurgCenter Development has developed over 60 physician-owned ASCs.
John Hajjar, MD, FACS, MBA (Surgem). Dr. Hajjar, CEO of Surgem, is a urologist who developed one of the first ASCs in New Jersey at Fair Lawn and has been managing facilities since 1992. Dr. Hajjar also operates one of the largest private urology practices in the United States, with 17 physicians in 11 locations. He also participates in and performs surgery at two of Surgem's locations. Dr. Hajjar studied medicine at Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C., and completed his surgical and urological training at New York University Medical Center in New York City.
Thomas Hall (NovaMed). Mr. Hall, chairman, president and CEO of NovaMed, previously served as president and CEO of Matria Healthcare, which provides disease management programs to health plans and employers, after having joined Matria as executive vice president and COO. Mr. Hall has also served as president and CEO of TSH & Associates, an independent consulting and management services company. He held several executive positions at ADP TotalSource, a division of Automated Data Processing, and served in senior management positions with Riscorp, an insurance holding company, and USAir Express/Chautauqua Airlines. He holds an MBA from Clarkson University in Potsdam, N.Y.
Richard Hanley (Health Inventures). Mr. Hanley, president and CEO of Health Inventures, has been in the healthcare business for more than 30 years and has extensive experience relating to the planning, organization, development and management of healthcare services and products. He was a founding partner in 1995 of Horizon Health Services, which was acquired by Johnson & Johnson Health Care Systems. He also served as president and CEO of Surgical Partners of America, a wholly owned subsidiary of Vivra. Mr. Hanley has also been responsible for development activities and operations of the Sutter Ambulatory Care Corp. and managed the day-to-day clinic operations for the Medical Center of Sacramento. He holds a master's degree in healthcare from the University of Minnesota.
Andrew Hayek (Surgical Care Affiliates). Mr. Hayek serves as president and CEO and a member of the board of directors of SCA. Prior to SCA, he served as president of a division of DaVita Inc., a $6 billion publicly traded renal dialysis company, and as president and CEO of Alliance Healthcare Services Inc., a $500 million publicly traded diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy company. Mr. Hayek worked previously for Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., a global private equity firm, and the Boston Consulting Group, a leading strategy and operations consulting firm. He serves on the board of directors of Senior Home Care, a home healthcare company, and earned a bachelor of arts degree summa cum laude (highest honors) from Yale University.
Edward Hetrick (Facility Development & Management). Mr. Hetrick, president and CEO of Facility Development & Management, has over 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry, the last 15 in the ASC industry. He has held management positions at major teaching institutions in the New York metropolitan area as well as a consulting position within the healthcare division of a big six accounting firm. Prior to founding FDM, Mr. Hetrick was vice president at Healthcare Facilities Management, a firm that specializes in reimbursement consulting for physicians and outpatient hospital accounts. He continues in this position today. He was also the director of operations management and operating room administrator at a major teaching institution in New York. Mr. Hetrick holds an MBA and a master's in public health in hospital administration from Columbia University.
Christopher Holden (AmSurg). Mr. Holden, AmSurg's president and CEO, is a healthcare industry veteran of more than 21 years, working most of his career directly in multi-facility and multi-market healthcare management. Prior to joining AmSurg, Mr. Holden served as senior vice president and a division president of Triad Hospitals, where he was a founding team member and officer in May 1999. From Aug. 1994-May 1999, Mr. Holden held several officer positions with Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corp. He holds a master's in healthcare administration and a law degree from Washington University.
Jeremy Hogue, JD (Sovereign Healthcare). In addition to serving as CEO of Sovereign, Mr. Hogue manages and consults with numerous healthcare ventures and physician practices. Prior to co-founding Sovereign, Mr. Hogue was vice president of Audax Group, a $1-billion private equity investment firm where he launched and ran the firm's West Coast office and directed investments into several early-stage and middle-market businesses. Prior to Audax Group, he was an associate with Lehman Brothers, where he was a member of the firm's investment banking group. Mr. Hogue received his juris doctorate from Harvard Law School and his MBA from the University of Southern California. Mr. Hogue was an All-American offensive lineman at USC and authors a column for the website WeAreSC.com, an ESPN affiliate.
Richard K. Jacques (Covenant Surgical Partners). Mr. Jacques, president and CEO of Covenant Surgical Partners, has over 15 years in the ASC industry, including senior management positions with both public and private healthcare companies. He was president and director of Surgical Health Group, a developer and manager of single and limited specialty surgery centers. Prior to that, Mr. Jacques was vice president of business development for AmSurg Corp. and was integral in the development of the system and methodology that AmSurg used to acquire or develop almost 100 ASCs during his time with them.
Marc Jang (Titan Health). Mr. Jang, president, CEO and founder of Titan Health, has held executive positions in healthcare for almost 20 years. Since 1991, his focus has been specifically in ASCs. His experience encompasses finance, mergers and acquisitions, and development and operations. Mr. Jang served as vice president of finance for Sutter Surgery Centers and regional vice president for ASC Network.
Brent Lambert, MD (Ambulatory Surgical Center of America). Dr. Lambert is the chairman of the board and a founder of Ambulatory Surgical Centers of America. He is a board-certified ophthalmologist and responsible for business development at ASCOA. Prior to the founding of ASCOA, Dr. Lambert was the developer and owner of three ASCs, including the first eye ASC in New England. He is a graduate of Harvard College, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary residency program.
Luke Lambert, CFA (Ambulatory Surgical Centers of America). Mr. Lambert came to ASCOA, first as its CFO in 1997 and then becoming its CEO in 2002, with a broad background in finance, strategy and operations. Mr. Lambert previously worked for Smith Barney in international sell-side equity research and at Booz, Allen & Hamilton and Ernst & Young, where he consulted with entities starting new ventures, entering new markets and reengineering business processes. Mr. Lambert is a graduate of Harvard College where he studied economics, and he obtained his MBA from the Columbia Graduate School of Business. Mr. Lambert was also among the first to earn the CASC designation in 2002.
Jared Leger (Arise Healthcare). Mr. Leger, managing partner of Arise, previously served as an executive director for a large physician group practice and ancillary services that included behavioral health and physical therapy services. He has syndicated and operated a physician-owned surgery center and a functional restoration program. Mr. Leger has a medical device sales background and currently holds a RN license as well as the CASC designation. Mr. Leger also been a partners in a privately held healthcare management company and current owns a real estate investment company based out of Austin, Texas.
Scott Leggett (Surgery One). Mr. Leggett is CEO of Surgery One, which manages four multi-specialty ASCs in the San Diego area. His has more than 17 years of experience in orthopedics and holds a master's degree in exercise and sports science from the University of Florida in Gainesville. He has also been featured on a series of educational videos on healthcare employment and interviewing on the career resource and job seeker website, www.jobing.com.
Jeff Leland (Blue Chip Surgical Center Partners). Mr. Leland, managing partner of Blue Chip, previously served as executive director of Lutheran General Medical Group, a 260-physician, multi-specialty medical group located in Chicago. He was once a senior-level executive with Advocate Health Care in Chicago, responsible for both business development and Advocate's 225,000-member health plan. He also served as vice president with ASCOA, president of HealthSpring Medical Group and as CEO of Western Ohio Health Care, an HMO with 200,000-plus members.
Mike Lipomi (RMC MedStone). Mr. Lipomi, president of RMC MedStone, has more than 30 years of experience in hospital and ambulatory surgery facility management. He started his career with American Medical International at El Cajon Valley Hospital in San Diego. Mr. Lipomi also served as CEO of Stanislaus Surgical Hospital in Modesto, Calif., which he grew from a small surgery center into a leading specialty hospital. He spent six years on the board of directors of the organization formerly known as FASA, three terms on the board of directors and two terms as president of the California Ambulatory Surgery Association and served on the board of directors of Physician Hospitals of America for the past seven years, including two years as president, and is the former chair the PHA's legislative committee.
Rodney Lunn (Surgical Health Group). Over the past 17 years, Mr. Lunn, CEO of Surgical Health Group, has developed more than 150 ASCs throughout the United States. He was a founder of AmSurg Corp., where he served as a director and as the senior vice president responsible for development of de nova centers, and started Practice Development Associates. Mr. Lunn has served as controller for MEDINC and as vice president of finance and CFO of American Medical Centers, an owner and manager of acute-care hospitals. He also has experience in the HMO industry, having previously served as CFO of INA (now Cigna) Healthplan of Texas and vice president of HealthAmerica of Florida.
Thomas Mallon (Regent Surgical Health). Before founding Regent in 2001, Mr. Mallon served as a founding member and remains a general partner with Gryffindor Capital Partners, a Chicago-based venture-capital fund. In 1994, he co-founded Same Day Surgery, which acquired five distressed and underutilized ASCs and a physician management company. Before his healthcare ventures, Mr. Mallon worked for 12 years in commercial office leasing for national firms. During his years as manager for the Miglin-Beitler leasing team, the Chicago Sun-Times selected the firm as Property Manager of the Year. Mr. Mallon holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Thomas A. Michaud (Foundation Hospital Affiliates). Prior to founding Foundation HealthCare Affiliates in Jan. 1996, Mr. Michaud held the positions of COO and CFO of a regional surgery center management company. In Jan. 2009, Foundation HealthCare launched two subsidiaries — Foundation Hospital Affiliates and Foundation Surgery Affiliates. Mr. Michaud serves as CEO for the hospital company and chairman of the parent company. During his career, has also developed bariatric centers. Other experience includes that of partner in a local CPA firm, COO of a regional wholesale company, along with holding of the upper management positions of manager of management information systems as well as manager of materials at an aerospace company. Mr. Michaud is a CPA, which he earned while serving as a staff accountant with Ernst & Young.
Krystal Mims (Texas Health Partners). Prior to becoming president of Texas Health Partners, Ms. Mims served as CFO for Physician's Medical Center, a specialty hospital in Plano, Texas; Southlake Specialty Hospital in Southlake, Texas; and Presbyterian Hospital of Rockwall in Rockwall, Texas, until August 2007. Her background in healthcare began in physician practice management. She was CFO for Texas Back Institute for three years, CFO of Practice Performance and administrator of Steadman Hawkins' Denver clinic. Ms. Mims served as secretary and CFO of Parker Road Surgery Center when Texas Health Partners formed this Dallas joint venture in 1994. Ms. Mims is also a CPA and began her career with KPMG Peat Marwick.
Kris Mineau (Constitution Surgery Centers). Mr. Mineau co-founded CSC in 1997 and has led the company's growth over the past 10 years. With surgery centers in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, CSC's partnerships extend to over 200 physicians and three hospitals. Prior to founding CSC, Mr. Mineau was a pilot in the United States Air Force. He commanded several different types of aircrafts flying a variety of missions worldwide. Mr. Mineau received a bachelor's degree in management from The United States Air Force Academy in 1988. He is involved in numerous professional organizations including the Connecticut Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers, where he served as its founding president.
Fred W. Ortmann III (Ortmann Healthcare Consultants). Mr. Ortmann, founder and CEO of Ortmann Healthcare Consultants, has more than 17 years of experience developing ASCs. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of South Carolina and his MHA from Baylor University. He was then commissioned in the USAF Medical Service Corps and served in a variety of positions during a 22-year career. Mr. Ortmann retired as a colonel in 1989 and began his private career as an administrator with Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque, N.M. After two years, he was asked to join the initial staff of AmSurg Corp., and served as its vice president for center development. He left AmSurg in 2001 and founded Ortmann Healthcare Consultants. He has also served as a consultant to Olympus America.
Lori Ramirez (Elite Surgical Affiliates). Ms. Ramirez has more than 12 years' experience in surgical development, operations and management. Prior to founding Elite Surgical Affiliates in Jan. 2008, she was a senior vice president of United Surgical Partners International where she was directly responsible for developing the second-largest network of surgical facilities for USPI in Houston. In this role, Ms. Ramirez oversaw 20-plus surgical facilities. Ms. Ramirez also has extensive experience in joint venturing with health systems such as Memorial Hermann in Houston and CHRISTUS Health System in South Texas.
John Rex-Waller (National Surgical Hospitals). Prior to his work as chairman, president and CEO of NSH, Mr. Rex-Waller was CFO of Hawk Medical Supply, a provider of disposable medical supplies to physicians. Previously he was the CFO and a co-founder of National Surgery Centers, which became one of the largest independent owners and operators of surgery centers in the country. He has been an investment banker, has an MBA from the University of Chicago and is a Rhodes Scholar.
J. Michael Ribaudo, MD (Surgical Synergies). Dr. Ribaudo has more than 27 years of experience as a surgeon, healthcare executive and real estate developer. He is a leader in the development of physician-owned ASCs and has served as executive vice president of Surgical Health Corp. and HealthSouth Surgery Centers. He currently serves on the board of directors for Flow International and chairs its compensation committee. He is also co-founder of Surgical Anesthesia Services. Dr. Ribaudo graduated from Louisiana State Medical School with graduate medical school training at Emory University, Washington University and New York University. He has received postgraduate training at Harvard Law School, Kellogg Business School and Stanford Graduate School of Business.
John Schario (Nueterra Healthcare). Mr. Schario currently serves as CEO of Nueterra. Prior to joining Nueterra in 2001, Mr. Schario spent 20 years as an executive of a major Midwestern integrated health system. His background includes building physician referral networks, managing acute-care hospitals and the development and operation of surgery centers and imaging facilities. Mr. Schario earned an MBA from Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Mo. He is also an active member of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Donald Schellpfeffer, MD (Medical Facilities Corp.). Dr. Schellpfeffer has over 18 years of experience in ambulatory surgical environments and 22 years in general, cardiovascular and trauma practices. In addition to serving as CEO of MFC, he is currently medical director of Sioux Falls Surgical Center, which he co-founded, and president of Anesthesia Associates, the largest anesthesia services provider in South Dakota. As an original founder of the Sioux Falls Surgical Center, Dr. Schellpfeffer has been its medical director and a member of the management committee since 1985.
Caryl A. Serbin, RN, BSN, LHRM (Surgery Consultants of America). Ms. Serbin has more than 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry, with the last 18 years spent in ambulatory surgery administration and consulting. She is also the founder and CEO of Serbin Surgery Center Billing. Her background includes time with Nashville-based Surgical Care Affiliates. Earlier in her career, her responsibilities included the administrative, clinical and reimbursement oversight of the outpatient department of a leading Florida hospital.
Bill Simon (Innovative Healthcare Management). Prior to becoming president and founder of Innovative Healthcare in 1995, Mr. Simon developed the Pain & Rehabilitation Medical Group, a 7,000-square-foot outpatient facility located in the South Bay of Los Angeles. He holds a bachelor's degree in finance, as well as a juris doctorate, and is currently a member of the State Bar of California.
William Southwick (HealthMark Partners). Prior to founding the surgery center division of HealthMark, which later became the sole business for HealthMark Partners, Mr. Southwick founded Southwick Financial Associates. Through merger, Southwick Financial Associates managed over $100 million in client assets and assisted large family businesses with succession planning for multigenerational growth. In 1996, Mr. Southwick helped start HealthMark Partners (formerly Women's Health Partners) — the current parent corporation to Surgical Health Partners. He holds certifications as a Certified Life Underwriter and Chartered Financial Consultant.
Barry Tanner (Physicians Endoscopy). Mr. Tanner is president and CEO of Physicians Endoscopy. Before joining PE, Mr. Tanner was the co-founder, CFO and COO of Navix Radiology Systems in Miami, which he helped found. Over a period of four years, Mr. Tanner contributed to building the company from zero to over $75 million in revenues, including the acquisition of seven professional radiology practices and orchestrating the acquisition and financing of a major diagnostics company. Mr. Tanner also served as COO of HealthInfusion, a Miami-based provider of home intravenous therapy services.
Larry Taylor (Practice Partners). Mr. Taylor has 26 years of experience in healthcare delivery, management and physician relations. Prior to founding Practice Partners, he served as president and COO of one of the largest providers of ASC services in the United States. As a certified athletic trainer, his initial entry into healthcare was focused in the delivery of sports medicine and orthopedic care. He has had responsibilities for multiple healthcare sites across the United States and United Kingdom over the course of his career. He also serves as an adjunct professor in healthcare at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Larry Teuber, MD (Medical Facilities Corp.). Dr. Teuber is president of Medical Facilities Corp. and founder and physician executive of Black Hills Surgery Center, one of the country's most successful small surgical hospitals. He is a board-certified neurological surgeon and the founder and managing partner of The Spine Center in Rapid Falls, S.D. Dr. Teuber earned his medical degree from the University of South Dakota in Vermillion. He then completed his general surgery internship and neurosurgery residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Dr. Teuber also served for 17 years in the active and reserve Army as an aviation and medical officer, retiring with the rank of major after serving in Desert Storm.
George Tinawi, MD (Surgery Center Partners). Dr. Tinawi co-founded Surgery Center Partners and its management subsidiary, Endoscopy Management Services Organization, with Samuel Marcus, MD, in 1997. Prior to that, he was a practicing physician in Mountain View, Calif. Dr. Tinawi currently serves as president of the company. He is a graduate of the Medical School of University of Aleppo in Syria. Dr. Tinawi completed his residency in internal medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medicine Program and his fellowship in gastroenterology at the University of Southern California. He is board certified in both internal medicine and gastroenterology.
William Wilcox (United Surgical Partners International). Prior to joining USPI as president and a director in 1998 — he was named CEO in 2004 — Mr. Wilcox served as CEO of United Dental Care. He also previously served as president of the Surgery Group of HCA and president and CEO of the ambulatory surgery division of HCA. Mr. Wilcox also served as president, COO and a director of Medical Care International.
Donald Wilson (Cirrus Health). Prior to founding one of Cirrus' predecessors in 1996, Mr. Wilson, now CEO of Cirrus Health, developed an extensive commercial real estate portfolio in various locations across Texas and surrounding states. Over the last 10 years, Mr. Wilson's focus has been exclusively devoted to the development of medical operations platforms and medically oriented real estate projects. In addition to his work in medical operations, Mr. Wilson has participated in more than 40 medical real estate development projects including ASCs, specialty surgical hospitals, acute-care hospitals, medical office buildings, primary care clinics, radiation oncology units and other complex medical facilities. Mr. Wilson earned a bachelor of business administration from the University of Texas.
Tom Yerden (TRY Health Care Solutions). Mr. Yerden has more than 28 years of experience spanning the development of 70 surgery centers and the founding of Aspen Healthcare in 1992, which he sold to a national firm in 2005. Prior to forming Aspen Healthcare, Mr. Yerden held COO and CEO positions in several healthcare systems and large physician group practices where he developed outpatient surgery centers and new outpatient surgical delivery systems. He hosts an ASC governing board retreat program in Salmon, Idaho. In addition, he is a national speaker and author on ASC issues.
Joseph Zasa, JD (ASD Management). Prior to co-founding ASD Management (formerly Woodrum/ASD) in 1996, Mr. Zasa served as corporate counsel for Premier Ambulatory Systems. He has published numerous articles on ambulatory surgery operations, development and management. He also previously served as regional director of surgery center operations for ProSurg, a division of American Ophthalmic. He received his juris doctorate from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va., and he is a member of the Virginia State Bar.
J.A. Ziskind (Global Surgical Partners). Mr. Ziskind, president and CEO of Global Surgical Partners, has been a healthcare attorney since 1984 and involved in Florida's healthcare industry since the 1970s. Prior to founding Global Surgical Partners, Mr. Ziskind served as CEO of Cedars Medical Center in Miami. He has also served as general counsel to the Dade County Medical Association since and was co-founder and served as general counsel to the Florida Society of Ambulatory Surgical Centers. He has also served on the board of directors for Mercy Hospital Foundation and the Pan American Hospital, both in Miami.