Our Solutions

CONSULTING SERVICES

Achieving Highest Levels of Patient Safety

PeriGen’s team of dedicated experts brings clinical, safety, and quality expertise to create solutions that maximize investments in clinical teams, processes and technology. PeriGen’s professional services help clients to achieve and sustain measurable improvements in quality outcomes, patient safety, staff satisfaction, and financial and operational performance.

• Perinatal Safety and Risk Assessments
• Protocol and Clinical Workflow Review and Design
• Training and Skills Development
• Clinical Team Communication and Organizational Effectiveness
• Simulation Center Support

G. Eric Knox, MD, Chief OB Risk and Safety Officer for PeriGen comments on the benefits of working collaboratively with clients to improve patient safety. 

Building a More Effective OB Service Line

We help clients optimize performance, manage the effects of the changing regulatory environment, improve reimbursement, and provide financial and operational guidance during periods of challenges and risk.

• OB Triage – Organizing for Profit
• OB Hospitalists – Developing Integrated, Cost-Effective Programs
• Assuring Eligible Inpatient and Outpatient Charge Captures
• Clinical Excellence Program
• Staffing, Productivity and Operational Improvements

Reducing Professional Liability and Risk

PeriGen’s professional liability and risk management team evaluates a client’s current environment to understand the root causes of medical malpractice exposure. Working collaboratively with risk managers, actuaries and legal teams, the team develops cohesive, sustainable strategies for mitigating exposure in the high-risk areas of obstetrics -- resulting in measurable cost savings and reduced risk.

• Medical Record and/or Clinical Case Reviews for Performance Improvement
• Aftermath Analysis –Effective Response to an Untoward Event
• MedMal Carrier/Actuary Negotiation Support
• MedMal Litigation Support

Enhancing Our Client’s Community Reputation for OB Excellence

PeriGen understands the impact of the labor and delivery experience in shaping a mother’s future selection preference for family healthcare. An interdisciplinary team of clinical, marketing and business professionals will work with a client’s strategic planning teams to design innovative programs for expanding the organization’s market reach, raising its visibility and strengthening its reputation as a leader in delivering state-of- the-art obstetrical care. The team will also establish effective outreach and communication strategies for community physician practices.

• Market Analysis and Competitive Positioning
• Reinforcing Bridges to Community Physician Practices
• Outreach to Patients

Principals

Linda Ali, RNC, MS

Linda Ali is PeriGen’s Senior OB Nursing Advisor. The former Specialty Director for Perinatal Services at Georgetown University Hospital, Linda has over 25 years of experience in Perinatal nursing. Having served as a staff nurse, nurse manager, nursing supervisor, director, clinical faculty instructor, and clinical nurse specialist during her career, Linda has worked in both university and community hospital settings, and holds certification in Inpatient Obstetrics from the National Certification Corporation. Linda is a certified child passenger safety technician (CPS) and a member of Sigma Theta Tau. She is also a member of several leading professional societies, including the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (NACNS), the Association of Nurse Advocates for Childbirth Solutions (ANACS), Perinatal Information Systems User Group (PISUG), and the Society for Medical Simulation (SMS). Linda is an active member of Association of Women’s Health, Obstetrical and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN), serving as an instructor-trainer for the Association’s Fetal Heart Monitoring Principles and Practices Program, a member of the consulting panel, both a section and a chapter leader, and developer of the Perinatal Education and Orientation Program (POEP). Linda holds a BS in Nursing from Columbia Union College, an MS in Women’s Health Advance Practice Nursing with a specialization in Perinatal Clinical Nursing from the University of Maryland in Baltimore, and a degree in Nursing from the University of Pennsylvania.

Areas of Focus:

• Perinatal Safety and Risk Assessments
• Protocol Design and Clinical Workflow Review and Design
• Training and Skills Development
• Simulation Center Support
• Clinical Excellence Programs
• Staffing, Productivity and Operational Improvements
• Outreach to Patients

Kate S. Allison

Kate S. Allison is the Founder and CEO of Karma Public Relations. Kate has an extensive strategic communications background, which includes broad experience in strategic planning, media relations, crisis communications and community relations. Prior to founding Karma, Kate served as a general manager at Golin/Harris, a top 10 international firm, where Kate directed strategies and communication programs for Fortune 100 and 500 companies including some of the most recognized brands in the world. Kate is a member of The Forum of Executive Women and a founding member of the Paradigm Award for Business Leadership and Excellence sponsored by the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. Currently, she serves on the board of the Philadelphia Foundation.

Area of focus:

• Enhancing Our Client’s Community Reputation for OB Excellence

Dorothy J. Berry, RN, BSN, HRM, CPHRM, DFASHRM

Dorothy J. Berry leads PeriGen’s OB Patient Safety and Risk Management Group. With over 10 years of nursing experience, and over 20 years of experience in risk management, 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 recently 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.

Areas of Focus:

• Perinatal Safety and Risk Assessments
• Medical Record and/or Case Reviews for Performance Improvement
• Clinical Excellence Programs

Wendy J. Evans, MPH, PhD

Wendy Evans is a management consultant and executive coach whose focus is advising companies and individuals to overcome organizational issues that inhibit optimal performance and impede effective team work. With an academic background in sociology, anthropology, and public health coupled with 30 years of international experience in women’s healthcare and patient advocacy, Wendy employs a multi-cultural approach to identifying and addressing the crucial issues that impact patient outcomes.  Wendy has held administrative, research, and teaching positions at several organizations in the US and UK including MCP Hahnemann University (Philadelphia, PA), University of Chicago, Wayne State University (Detroit, MI), and conducted research projects for The National Childbirth Trust (Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, UK) and King’s College Hospital (London, England). For her doctoral thesis, Wendy studied the quality of prenatal clinics and institutions across the U.S. and England which highlighted the importance of effective interaction among staff to achieving optimal maternal-fetal outcomes.  Wendy has published numerous articles on provider-patient communication, patient management, and patient access to prenatal care. Wendy’s past positions include organizational consultant with the Brinoth Group; Editor-in-Chief, American Journal of Homeopathy; Research Assistant to the Dean, Wayne State University School of Medicine; and Research Assistant to Ruth S. Hanft, PhD - Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services for the Office of Health Research, Statistics, and Technology. Wendy holds a BA in Anthropology from the University of Hawaii, MPH from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a PhD in Sociology from Wayne State University. 

Areas of Focus:

• Clinical Team Communication and Organizational Effectiveness
• Training and Skills Development
• Reinforcing Bridges to Community Physician Practices
• Outreach to Patients 

Thomas J. Garite, MD, FACOG, Senior OB Advisor

A specialist in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, in addition to his work with PeriGen and its clients, Tom holds three positions which include: Editor-In-Chief, American Journal of Obstetricians and Gynecology; Chairman, Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Foundation; Director of Research and Education for Obstetrix/Pediatrix Medical Group. Tom is the author or co-author of five textbooks and has published over 100 original journal articles and a similar number of abstracts, chapters and invited articles. He is a past president of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, as well as a twelve year member of its Board of Directors. He has also been a Member of the Board of Directors of the Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Director of the Oral Examinations for this Board, as well as a Member of the Technical Bulletin and Course Coordination Committee of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. A recipient of the Career Achievement Award from the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine and the National Teaching Award from the Association of Professors of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tom remains active in clinical research. 

Areas of Focus:

• OB Hospitalists
• Protocol and Clinical Workflow Review and Design
• Clinical Excellence Programs
• Medical Record and/or Case Reviews
• MedMal Litigation Support
• Consultants

Emily F. Hamilton, MDCM, FRCSC, FACOG

An experienced obstetrician, Dr. Hamilton 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, Dr. Hamilton 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. Dr. Hamilton 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.

Areas of Focus:

• Simulation Center Support
• Protocol and Clinical Workflow Review and Design
• Aftermath Analysis

G. Eric Knox, MD, FACOG, Chief OB Risk & Safety Officer

Before joining PeriGen, Dr. Knox 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. Dr. Knox 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. Dr. Knox 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.

Areas of Consulting Focus:

• Perinatal Safety and Risk Assessments
• Protocol and Clinical Workflow Review and Design
• Clinical Excellence Program
• Clinical Team Communication and Organizational Effectiveness
• Medical Record and/or Clinical Case Reviews for Performance Improvement
• Aftermath Analysis
• MedMal Litigation Support

Vicki A. Lucas, RNC, PhD, Chief Nursing Officer

Dr. Vicki Lucas is 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. She 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. An adjunct member of the faculty at Johns Hopkins University, Vicki has served as an advisor to the CDC, NIH, HHS, ANA, AHA, AAP, ACOG, and AWHONN.

Areas of Focus:

• OB Triage
• Clinical Excellence Program
• Simulation Support
• Staffing, Productivity and Operational Improvements
• Market Analysis and Competitive Positioning
• Outreach to Patients

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.

Areas of Focus:

• Reinforcing Bridges to Community Physician Practices
• Clinical Excellence Programs
• OB Billing
• Simulation Support

Kathryn E. Townsend, RN, JD, ARM, LHRM

Kathryn E. Townsend directs PeriGen’s Professional Liability and Risk Management Group. A nurse/ attorney with over 25 years of experience in insurance, healthcare risk management, and patient safety, Kathryn has been an active member of the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management (ASHRM) for many years. Kathryn has served on multiple committees and taskforces within ASHRM, and contributed to the creation of ASHRM’s inaugural exam for healthcare risk management certification. She also helped develop ASHRM’s patient safety curriculum, serving as team leader and faculty since inception. Kathryn has served on the Board of Directors for the Florida Society of Healthcare Risk Management and was selected as a Fellow of the Salzburg Seminar on Patient Safety and Medical Error in Austria. Kathryn’s prior experience includes serving as in-house counsel, corporate risk manager, and an executive with a medical malpractice risk retention group covering several leading academic medical centers. During her tenure, she led the development and implementation of a multi-institutional clinical initiative in perinatal patient safety.

Areas of Focus:

• Medmal Carrier/Actuary Negotiation Support
• MedMal Litigation Support
• Medical Record and/or Case Reviews