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LEADERSHIP TEAM
PeriGen’s management team is fluent in health information technology, patient care management, obstetrics risk management and medical informatics. The team combines expertise in healthcare consulting, service delivery, patient care, healthcare information systems development, business management, and sales and marketing. They lead an organization of close to 100 employees comprised of clinicians, healthcare managers, risk managers, business analysts, sales and technical professionals dedicated to delivering risk reduction solutions and services that optimize the delivery of high-quality, cost-effective patient care.
Josh Lewis, Founder and Managing Principal, Salmon River Capital: "Good things happen when a leadership team shares passion, values, and principles."
Matthew Sappern - Chief Executive Officer.
Matt Sappern joins PeriGen from his position as Senior Vice President, Client Sales at Allscripts, a $1.3 billion global leader in the electronic medical records industry. At Allscripts, Matt’s Client Sales team achieved record bookings in 2011. Matt joined Allscripts in 2010 following its merger with Eclipsys, where he served as a corporate officer and Senior Vice President of Professional Services responsible for directing the Services division, encompassing the company’s consulting, implementation, and education and training services. Before that, he served as Senior Vice President of Technology Solution Services at Eclipsys, which he joined in 2003, after serving in leadership roles at WebMD, Time Warner, Primedia and Young & Rubicam. Matt holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Emory University in Atlanta, GA.
Mike Pritts - President and Chief Technology Officer.
Mike is a dynamic software development executive with extensive experience directing complex, large-scale initiatives in a high-growth, multinational corporate environment. He has demonstrated success managing the growth of a $320M product portfolio, and has a proven record of driving product quality and organizational efficiency. Prior to joining PeriGen, Mike was Vice President of Research and Product Development for Misys Healthcare Systems, an industry-leading healthcare information technology company which offers, among other products, an EMR and project management system. Mike led the growth of Misys’ EMR solution from 400 to 1,900 installations within 5 years to capture the largest market share of any EMR vendor, and increased productivity by 300%. At Misys, Mike led a 450-employee multinational product development organization, and managed a $36M operating budget. He was responsible for all aspects of the product development lifecycle, including research and innovation, development, packaging and delivery, and infrastructure services. Before Misys, Mike was Director of Product Development and Technologies for an aggressive dot com start-up, Invisible Worlds, Inc., and was handpicked to lead the Product Development team at LexisNexis. Mike holds a BS in Computer Science from the University of Pittsburgh.
Bruno Bendavid - Senior Vice President of Fetal Monitoring Division.
During his 15 year career at LMS Medical Systems, Bruno held positions of increasing seniority and responsibility. In 2009, as LMS’ interim COO and CTO, Bruno helped to oversee the Company’s acquisition by PeriGen, and the subsequent integration of LMS’ CALM suite with PeriGen’s advanced clinical decision support solution. Bruno has served as the Company’s VP of Product Development, VP of Technical Operations, and Development Manager, as well as Software Developer, the position Bruno held when he joined the nascent LMS in 1997. With an in-depth understanding of the development and design of the CALM platform, as well as its underlying research, Bruno is an integral part of PeriGen’s technology, leadership and development teams. Bruno holds a Bachelor of Computer Science degree from Concordia University and brings proven leadership abilities to PeriGen through his extensive experience as an army officer from 1983 to 1988.
Natan Blanks - Senior Vice President and Technology Solutions Architect.
Natan has been with PeriGen since 1996, serving as chief design and software architect. Prior to joining PeriGen, Natan managed the software development division of CDI Systems, a company specializing in information publishing, and also acted as an independent software consultant, developing projects in Israel, the US, and Europe. Natan holds patents in information management and retrieval, and in 1987, he earned both the PC Magazine Editor’s Choice Award and the Best Business Software Award from the US Software Publishers Association for his IZE information management program. Natan received a BS in Psychology from the University of New South Wales.
W. John Coats, MBA, CPA - Chief Financial Officer and Controller.
John is a strong financial leader with a CPA, MBA, and Big 4 background. With over 30 years of executive experience in both the public and private sectors, John has extensive knowledge of debt and equity financing, system conversions, staff development, SEC reporting, IPO, and international operations. Prior to joining PeriGen, John was the Senior VP of Finance and Controller for Kaplan EduNeering, Inc., which provides technology-enabled knowledge solutions to improve business performance, minimize risk, and assure regulatory compliance in the pharmaceutical, healthcare, and energy industries. In this position, John managed processes to reduce corporate overhead by over $3M, converted all accounting and project management systems to a single, enterprise-wide system (MAS500), and developed new policies and procedures to govern accounting processes. During his career, John was the Chief Financial Officer of such well-known enterprises as We’re Entertainment, Inc. and The Museum Company, Inc., as well as the Vice President and Controller of $600M industry-leader Nutri/System, Inc. John holds a BS in Accounting from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, and an MBA in Finance from the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler School of Business.
Shai Feinsod - Chief Clinical Solutions Officer.
Shai is a proven executive with experience in client operations, business development, and research and development. In his 10 years at PeriGen, Shai has overseen the development and clinical trials of the clinical decision support system, implemented PeriGen’s first solutions in the United States, hired and trained the first American PeriGen team, and built and maintained a large portion of PeriGen’s existing client relationships. Prior to joining the company, Shai served as Vice President of Operations for Dune Medical Devices, a healthcare information technology company dedicated to the development and commercialization of highly advanced, real-time tissue characterization devices. Shai is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and holds a BS in Medical Science from Tel Aviv University, where he also attended medical school.
Emily Hamilton, MDCM, FRCSC, FACOG - Senior Vice President of Clinical Research.
An experienced obstetrician, Emily has held various academic appointments at McGill University, including Director of the Residency Education Program in Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Director of Perinatology. Currently, she is as an Adjunct Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at McGill. With over 20 years of experience as a practicing obstetrician, Emily has served on various Canadian National Task Forces defining Clinical Practice Guidelines for fetal surveillance. Her research team has included members with diverse backgrounds such as mathematics, computer science and engineering along with experienced nursing and medical clinicians. They were successful in creating mathematical models to be used at the bedside to help the clinical staff assess fetal heart rate patterns, labor progress and risk of shoulder dystocia. This research was applied to the development of the PeriCALM® suite of fetal monitoring technologies. Emily presents regularly at academic conferences focusing on patient safety or risk management for obstetrical services, and holds 16 issued and 21 pending US and international patents related to obstetrics.
Richard J. Henley, FACHE, FHFMA - Executive Advisor.
Richard is the President and CEO of Healthcare Strategic Solutions, LLC, an advisory firm focused on developing high-performance organizational cultures at health systems and other healthcare-related companies by achieving strategic, financial and operational excellence. He previously served as the President and CEO of Pocono Health System (PHS) in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, and held the position of Executive Vice President at Health Quest. In this position, he served as both the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer for a diversified healthcare system which included three hospitals, a long-term care facility as well as several other affiliates. In addition, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer for a captive insurance company, an information technology company, an ambulance service, a home care company and several other health-related entities. Richard is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), where he also served on the Board of Governors, and the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA), of which he was also elected National Chairman. Richard is the recipient of several awards, including the HFMA Founder’s Medal of Honor and National Life Membership, and the ACHE Distinguished Service Award. Richard simultaneously earned a Master of Arts and a Bachelor of Arts, Summa Cum Laude, from The City College of The City University of New York, where he was also inducted into Phi Beta Kappa.
G. Eric Knox, MD, FACOG - Chief OB Risk & Safety Officer.
Before joining PeriGen, Eric served as the President and Chief Medical Officer of Obstetrix Medical Group, Inc., a for-profit publicly traded national group practice of Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialists. Before Obstetrix, he founded Minnesota Perinatal Specialists and actively practiced Maternal-Fetal Medicine for 22 years. Eric is a professor of OB-GYN at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN. His research and consulting has focused on High Reliability and Teamwork in preventing perinatal Injury and malpractice claims. He has published over 120 articles concerning clinical practice and management of clinical risk. Currently, he is conducting multidisciplinary qualitative research on patterns of nurse-physician communication and their effect on patient injury in obstetrics. Eric has given over 200 lectures and seminars to nurses, physicians and governing boards on all aspects of managing clinical risk and creating patient safety. He was a founding board member of the National Patient Safety Foundation, and currently consults and advises leaders in healthcare organizations throughout the United States.
Alan Lefkowitz, JD - Chief Legal Officer.
Alan has significant experience providing legal counsel to corporate entities in the healthcare and technology industries. In his last position as the General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Resolution Health, Inc., Alan oversaw the purchase of the company by WellPoint, Inc., the largest health insurance provider in the US. During his tenure at Resolution Health, Alan was an integral member of the senior management team. He advised the board of directors on all legal matters, directed external legal counsel, and drafted and negotiated all customer agreements. As Resolution Health’s Chief Privacy and Compliance Officer, Alan developed, implemented, and maintained a best practices/HIPAA-compliant data privacy and security program, and directed all aspects of regulatory compliance. Prior to joining Resolution Health, Alan was counsel at O’Melveny & Myers, LLP in their Washington, DC and London offices. Alan holds an AB from Harvard University and a JD from the University of Chicago. He is a member of the bar associations of California and the District of Columbia, and a Qualified Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales.
Vicki A. Lucas, RNC, PhD, MNEd, BSN - Chief Nursing Officer.
For the past 25 years, Vicki has been recognized as one of the foremost leaders in women’s and children’s health. She has served on the boards of every major women’s health organization, co-edited AWHONN’s book on women’s health, and published more than fifty articles and chapters on women’s and children’s health in peer reviewed publications. Vicki was Chairman of the Division of Women and Childbearing Families at the University of Texas, and has held academic appointments at six major universities throughout the United States. She has also served in senior executive positions over the past 15 years in women’s and children’s services in two large health systems, each with more than 11,000 annual births. In addition to her work with PeriGen, Vicki is currently an adjunct member of the faculty at Johns Hopkins University. Throughout her career, Vicki has served as an advisor to the most prestigious medical institutions, including: CDC, NIH, HHS, ANA, AHA, The Center for American Nurses, The Advisory Board, The Jacobs Institute, The Snowmass Institute, AAP, ACOG, and AWHONN. She received her BSN and MNEd from the University of Pittsburgh, and holds a PhD from The University of Texas in healthcare finance and administration. Vicki is also a nationally certified Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner.
Denise Queffelec, MBA - Senior Vice President of Consulting Services.
Beginning her career as a certified emergency room nurse, Denise currently leads PeriGen’s Consulting Services division. Denise is an experienced executive whose clinical expertise has helped to inform her 25+ years of domestic and international experience in developing new markets, products, services and strategic alliances to accelerate revenue and profit growth for both start-up and Fortune 500 companies. With expertise in process and technology solutions to increase the efficiency of clinical operations, Denise has advised medical device, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, CRO and government health organizations on the development of clinical trial and safety programs. Prior to joining PeriGen, Denise was a member of the executive leadership team at Kaplan EduNeering, a compliance solutions company. At Kaplan, Denise led the Life Sciences Practice, providing strategic market direction, thought leadership and solution development of knowledge and compliance programs for clinical, manufacturing, and corporate compliance operations. Previously, Denise was a Partner with Computer Sciences Corporation where she advised and managed cross-functional and cross-cultural teams in the development of globally-implemented, FDA-regulated solutions. Earlier, Denise managed regulatory and clinical affairs at Qmed, a start-up medical device and disease management company, where she also held product development, client services and sales positions. Denise has an MBA from Rutgers Graduate School of Management and a BS in Nursing from Alfred University.
Sandra L. Taylor, PhD - Chief Marketing Officer.
Sandra is an accomplished executive with expertise in corporate identity, brand management, and market positioning. In addition to strategic consultation work with high-tech and healthcare clients, she has built professional marketing and account services organizations from the ground up, rebranded and repositioned companies for optimal market differentiation, and has raised company profiles through strategic public relations and promotional events. She served as the Vice President of Marketing for Daou Systems, Inc., a publicly-traded healthcare information technology consulting firm, and served as the Vice President of Corporate Marketing following Daou Systems’ merger with Proxicom, Inc., a privately-held, interactive consulting company in October of 2005. Prior to joining Daou Systems, Sandra was the Director of Marketing and Account Management for LaserLink.net, a provider of branded Internet access to Fortune 1000 companies. In 2000, LaserLink.net was acquired by Covad Communications, Inc. for $486M. Before joining LaserLink in 1999, Sandra was the Vice President of Account Services at Integra, a national behavioral healthcare corporation where she was responsible for corporate marketing and account management. Sandra’s professional background includes positions in secondary and college teaching. Sandra holds a PhD in English Literature from Temple University.
Yonatan Yovell, MD - General Manager of Israel Operations & Vice President of Medical Development.
As General Manager of PeriGen’s Israel office, Yonatan is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the PeriBirth® Research and Development teams. In this position, Yonatan works closely with leaders in the US and Canada to meet efficiency and quality goals, to enhance teamwork and communication, and to increase workflow and productivity across the PeriGen organization. As PeriGen’s VP of Medical Development, Yonatan is responsible for leading his team in the delivery of medical content for the PeriBirth EMR, including protocol and guideline updates, medical version control and QA, and new product/medical content development. Prior to joining PeriGen, Yonatan cared for high-risk patients at Shiba-Tel Hashomer Hospital. Yonatan is a graduate of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem School of Medicine, and completed his residency at Hadassah Hospital. A retired Lieutenant in the Israeli Armed Forces, Yonatan remains on active reserve in the Israeli Medical Corps.
Hugh Lee - Manager of National Sales.
An experienced sales executive in the healthcare IT industry with expertise in the perinatal market, Hugh has a strong and successful customer-centric focus as both an account manager in the maternal-infant care space, and as a Healthcare IT specialist selling perinatal software to hospitals throughout the southern United States. Prior to joining PeriGen, Hugh was a Perinatal Specialist with GE Healthcare. A consistent top performer on the GE sales team, he gained valuable experience with new product introductions, strategic and complex selling and relationship management. Hugh served in several strategic roles in addition to sales leadership and mentoring, including product development advisement, strategic partnership management and vendor/supplier contract negotiations, as well as the management of third party distribution agreements. Hugh holds a BA in Healthcare Management from the University of Alabama, and an MBA from the University of Alabama-Birmingham.
In maternity care, the US is the second lowest-ranked industrialized nation in the world, leading only Estonia.
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OB liability claims dropped from an expected level of 15 or more annually to low, single digits. – MedStar
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