About Us
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."
Donald Deieso, PhD - Chairman & Chief Executive Officer.
Before entering the healthcare IT field, Don was the CEO of several publicly traded companies in the engineering, public health and technology sectors. He has also held senior positions in both federal and state government, and has served on the faculty of Rutgers University. Don holds a BSME from Manhattan College, as well as an MS and PhD from Rutgers University, and is a member of both the Sigma Xi Society and the Pi Tau Sigma engineering honor society. Don has served on the Board of Directors of several companies; in addition to PeriGen, he currently serves on the Board of Sentrx, a pharmacovigilance services company.
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.
Dorothy J. Berry, RN, BSN, HRM, CPHRM, DFASHRHM - Senior Vice President of Clinical Services.
Dorothy is an experienced clinician and leader, as well as a nationally recognized expert in healthcare risk management and patient safety. She has over 10 years of nursing experience, and over 20 years of experience in risk management. Dorothy has been the Vice President of Risk Management and Patient Safety at PeriGen since 2005. Prior to joining PeriGen, Dorothy held management positions with several leading national professional liability carriers. Most recently, she served as Vice President of Healthcare Services for GE Insurance Solutions. Dorothy is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Society of Healthcare Risk Management (DFASHRM), a Certified Professional in Healthcare Risk Management (CPHRM), and is certified in Six Sigma. She has published several peer-reviewed articles on risk management, and completed a 2-year term on the Board of the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management (ASHRM). Dorothy holds a BS in Nursing from DePaul University, and maintains an active RN license in Illinois.
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 - 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. Emily presents regularly at academic conferences focusing on patient safety or risk management for obstetrical services, and holds 13 issued 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.
Thomas E. Marren, Jr, CPA - Chief Financial Officer.
Tom is a Certified Public Accountant with an MBA in Finance. His background includes several senior management positions in the public sector as well as business planning and valuation, turnaround, and reengineering consulting experience. Tom began his 35-year career at the New York Offices of Deloitte Haskins & Sells (currently Deloitte & Touche), and then joined AlliedSignal, where he developed a company-wide cash planning system, developed strategic financing alternatives for the Corporate VP of Finance, and became responsible for more than $140M in public and private debt placements. As a senior executive at Engelhard Corporation, Tom planned and executed strategies that saw operations grow from a $50M domestic business to a $750M worldwide operation with facilities in the US, England, Germany, Korea and South Africa. For the past 10 years, Tom has been the CFO for several venture backed companies, including EduNeering, Inc. Tom oversaw the sale of this compliance and risk management solution provider to Kaplan, Inc., a worldwide education services leader and a subsidiary of The Washington Post. Tom is a Certified Public Accountant in New Jersey, and a member of the NJ Society of CPA's and the American Institute of CPA's. He holds a BS in Accounting from Upsala College and an MBA in Finance from Monmouth University.
Douglas Masiel - Senior Vice President of Business Development.
Doug is an experienced and effective sales executive with a proven track record of developing strategies, building sales teams, and executing growth plans. In the past four years, as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for CliniComp, Doug averaged 39% sales growth, built a sales pipeline from $2M to over $120M, and implemented a growth plan which resulted in 300% revenue growth for the company. Doug has over a decade of executive sales experience in the healthcare industry, as the former Vice President of InteHealth, Inc. and the Vice President of Channel Sales for Healtheon/WebMD. Doug holds a BS in Cellular Biology from the University of California at Davis.
Daniel F. O’Keeffe, MD, FACOG - Chief Medical Officer.
Dan is an experienced physician leader, board certified in obstetrics, gynecology, and maternal-fetal medicine. In addition to his duties as PeriGen’s Chief Medical Officer and Chair of the Physician Council, Dan serves as the Executive Vice President of the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine. Dan has a remarkable record of achievements. He established the Phoenix Perinatal Associates (PPA) in Phoenix, Arizona in 1980. In less than a decade, he transformed the practice into a fully-integrated obstetric medicine group consisting of maternal-fetal medicine specialists, neonatal specialists, ultrasound specialists, and genetic specialists. Additionally, he sits on a number of boards including the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Foundation, the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Foundation. An ACOG fellow, consultant reviewer for the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and a member of the American College of Physician Executives, Dan is a member of the SMFM Government Relations, Coding, and Practice Management Committees. In 2005, Dan was presented the Society of Maternal-Fetal Medicine’s highest honor, the Lifetime Achievement Award, for his dedication and service to the organization. Dan completed his OB/Gyn residency and MFM fellowship at the University of California, Irvine.
Mike Pritts - 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.
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.
50% of all malpractice cases with damages over one million dollars are in Obstetrics; medical errors play a prominent role in 30-50% of cases.
RESULTS YOU CAN DOCUMENT
PeriGen has a clinical database of over 400,000 births.
Learn More About Us
Assisting clinicians with safer care for mothers and babies.
Contact Us
Site Map 
