350 People in the ASC Industry to Know (Part 2)

Laura Dyrda -

Here is the second part of the "350 People in the ASC Industry to Know" list-- P-Z


This list of leaders within the ambulatory surgery center industry was created as a result of extensive research by our editorial staff. The list is arranged in alphabetical order. Leaders do not pay and cannot pay for placement on this list. Inclusion on this list is not an endorsement of a provider's or organization's clinical abilities.



Scott Palmer. Mr. Palmer is the president and COO of the ASC division of SourceMedical. He has more than 25 years of experience working with outpatient healthcare facilities, having been the founder and president of Temple Information Systems. He also founded Prescient Healthcare Systems and helped launch CTQ Solutions.

Michael Pankey, RN, MBA.
Mr. Pankey is the administrator of the Ambulatory Surgery Center of Spartanburg (S.C.). He previously served as administrator and clinical resources manager in multiple locations. Mr. Pankey also served as the president of the South Carolina Ambulatory Surgery Center Association.

Greg Parsons, MD.
Dr. Parsons is the medical director of the Carolina Surgical Center, a joint venture with Tenet Health Systems in Rock Hill, S.C. He has been on the staff of the center since its beginning in 1989, and has been the president of the physician group for more than 10 years.

Charles Peck, MD, FACP.
Dr. Peck is the president and CEO of Health Inventures, where he actively oversees the company's growth in outpatient surgery partnerships as well as physician practice management and inpatient perioperative management with hospitals and physicians. He has more than 30 years of healthcare experience as a clinician, internist, rheumatologist, scientist and other roles within the healthcare environment.

Jeff Péo. Mr. Péo is the vice president of acquisitions and development for the Ambulatory Surgical Centers of America. He graduated from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, with a degree in manufacturing engineering. Prior to joining ASCOA, Mr. Péo ran a knowledge management and IT consulting division for a Fortune 100 company.

Ron Pelletier.
Mr. Pelletier is vice president of market strategy for SourceMedical. He has experience in the operational and design aspects of technology systems for outpatient surgery. He has helped several facility operators select and implement systems and has designed procedures and protocols for better returns on system investments.

Linda Peterson.
Ms. Peterson is the CEO of Executive Solutions for Healthcare, based in Chandler, Ariz. She has more than 30 years of experience in development and operational management of healthcare organizations. Her main areas of expertise include design and development of new business and product lines as well as merger and acquisition experience in the ambulatory service sector.

Kenneth Pettine, MD.
Dr. Pettine is the co-founder of Rocky Mountain Associates in Orthopedic Medicine in Loveland, Colo., and the founder of the Society for Ambulatory Spine Surgery. He has an extensive background in spinal surgery, research and rehabilitation and is board certified. Dr. Pettine co-invented, designed and patented the Maverick Artificial Disc.

Stanford R. Plavin, MD.
Dr. Plavin has served as a member of Ambulatory Anesthesia of Atlanta since its inception and has been the managing partner for the last several years. He is an active member of local and state anesthesia societies and is the immediate past president of the Greater Atlanta Society of Anesthesiologists.

Thomas J. Pliura, MD, JD, PC.
Dr. Pliura is a physician and attorney at law with the company he founded, zChart, an electronic medical records-related company based in LeRoy, Ill. He has also served as founder and manager of four ASCs. In 1998, he sought and received the first favorable Medicare Advisory Opinion in the country, certifying that a proposed ASC was exempt from Stark Laws under a rural provider exemption. He is also running for the Illinois state senate.

John Poisson.
Mr. Poisson is the executive vice president of Physicians Endoscopy. During his more than 17 years of healthcare experience, he has served in senior management positions within both corporate development and operations roles. Prior to Physicians Endoscopy, Mr. Poisson was vice president of client services at Transcend Services and vice president of new business development at Coastal Physician Group.

William A. Portuese, MD.
Dr. Portuese is the current president of the Washington ASC Association and Washington State Chapter of Facial Plastic Surgeons. He specializes in plastic, cosmetic and reconstructive surgery of the face and neck and has studied recent advancements in facial cosmetic surgery, including tissue adhesive techniques and lower eyelid surgery without external incisions.

William Prentice, JD.
Mr. Prentice is the executive director of the ASC Association and Ambulatory Surgery Foundation. He previously served as senior vice president of government and public affairs at the American Dental Association and vice president of a New Jersey public affairs firm. He has more than 17 years of experience working with healthcare organizations.


Vito Quatela, MD.
Dr. Quatela co-founded Ambulatory Healthcare Strategies and serves as CEO. He developed and owns two ASCs in Rochester, N.Y., and founded HUGS, a non-profit organization that does medical mission trips to third-world countries. He is a board-certified facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon and is the immediate past president of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons.

David J. Raab, MD. Dr. Raab is on the board of managers at the Illinois Sports Medicine & Orthopedic Surgery Center and is a fellowship-trained sports medicine physician with Illinois Bone & Joint Institute, both in Morton Grove. His professional interests include total joint replacement, arthroscopy and pediatric orthopedics. He also serves as an assistant professor at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago.

Lori Ramirez.
Ms. Ramirez is the founder, president and CEO of Elite Surgical Affiliates and previously served as a senior vice president with United Surgical Partners International where she was directly responsible for developing the second-largest network of surgical facilities for the company. In this role, Ms. Ramirez oversaw 20-plus surgical facilities.

Michael R. Redler, MD.
Dr. Redler is a founding partner of The Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Center in Fairfield, Conn. He is a fellowship-trained orthopedic sports medicine and hand surgeon. He serves as an orthopedic consultant to Major League Lacrosse and associate clinical professor for the department of physical therapy and athletic trainers at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Conn.

J. Michael Ribaudo, MD.
Dr. Ribaudo is the founder, chairman and CEO of Surgical Synergies and has more than 27 years of experience as a surgeon, healthcare executive and real estate developer. He has served as executive vice president of Surgical Health and HealthSouth Surgery Centers. He has served on the board of directors for Flow International and chaired its compensation committee.

Gary A. Richberg, RN, ALNC, CRN-A/C, CASC, CAPPM.
Mr. Richberg is the administrator at Pacific Rim Outpatient Surgery Center in Bellingham, Wash. He previously served as an administrator of the Institute of Orthopedic Surgery in Las Vegas and has spent time in the United States Navy as a hospital corpsman.

Rosalind Richmond.
Ms. Richmond is the chief coding compliance officer for GENASCIS, a company that provides billing, coding and transcription services to ASCs. She has more than 30 years of experience as a coding and HIM consultant. During her career, Ms. Richmond also served as the data quality committee chair for Colorado Health Information Association.

Patrick Richter.
Mr. Richter is the vice president of business development for United Surgical Partners International. Prior to joining USPI, he spent 13 years serving in various capacities at Baylor Health Care System in Dallas, most recently as the vice president of business development. Mr. Richter received a master's degree in taxation from Texas A&M University.

Herbert W. Riemenschneider, MD.
Dr. Riemenschneider is the principal physician and urologic surgeon at Riverside Urology in Columbus, Ohio. He is also a clinical assistant professor of urology at The Ohio State University's College of Medicine and is the director of urologic education at Riverside Methodist Hospitals, both in Columbus. Dr. Riemenschneider performed the first prostate cryoablation in Ohio in 1993 and continues to perform the procedure today.

Anne Roberts, RN.
Ms. Roberts is the administrator at the Surgery Center at Reno. She began her career as a nurse in the emergency department, spending 16 years as a staff nurse and 10 years as the manager of a busy ED seeing 55,000 patients annually.

Regina Robinson. Ms. Robinson is the director and administrator at Peninsula Surgery Center in Newport News, Va. Services at the surgery center includes general surgery, gynecology, orthopedics, otolaryngology, pain management and plastic surgery. The ASC includes electronic medical records and electronic patient monitoring throughout the facility.

Steven Robinson, MD. Dr. Robinson is a board member and practicing plastic surgeon at Riverside Outpatient Surgery Center in Columbus, Ohio. He is also an active member of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons and holds staff appointments at several area hospitals.

Lisa Rock. Ms. Rock is the president of National Medical Billing Services, which specializes in freestanding outpatient surgery center coding and billing. She has been in the healthcare field for 23 years.

Paul L. Rohlf, MD.
Dr. Rohlf began practicing at Urological Associates in 1969. After a long and successful career serving thousands of patients, he retired from the practice in 2007. During his career, he served as president of the American Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers. He was the initial urologist who obtained the first surgery center certificate of need for a center in Iowa and remains a strong leader in the ASC industry following his retirement.

Jay Rom, MBA, CPA. Mr. Rom is the president of Blue Chip Surgical Partners. Before joining Blue Chip, he served as CEO of a cardiology group in Cincinnati with 15 physicians and was vice president for physician services of the Franciscan Health System, where he was responsible for a 60-physician multispecialty group.

Michael Romansky, JD. Mr. Romansky is the Washington Counsel and vice president of corporate development for the Outpatient Ophthalmologic Surgery Society. He has practiced exclusively in health law, representing healthcare providers, companies and organizations. He also has served as the Washington counsel to many other medical specialty and health trade associations.

Stephen Rosenbaum.
Mr. Rosenbaum is CEO for Interventional Management Services. He has more than 15 years of healthcare experience working with physicians and physician-owned facilities. Prior to joining IMS, he created SourceRevenue, an independent healthcare consulting company.

Kenneth L. Rosenquest.
Mr. Rosenquest is the senior vice president of operations at Constitution Surgery Centers, based in Newington, Conn., and oversees the company's hospital joint ventures. He served as administrator of one of the top performing orthopedic surgery centers in the country and has experience in all aspects of ASC management from operations to billing to equipment acquisition.

Michael Rucker.
Mr. Rucker is the executive vice president and COO of SCA. He has previous experience as a divisional vice president of operations at DaVita, where he was responsible for physician practice management and dialysis services. He has also worked in public accounting as a CPA.

Cathy Rudisill. Ms. Rudisill is a partner at Nelson Mullis Riley & Scarborough, with more than 20 years of experience in commercial real estate and financial transactions. Her practice includes working with joint ventures and development agreements and she has published several law-related articles in professional publications.

Blayne Rush. Mr. Rush is president of Ambulatory Alliances, a boutique investment banking, business brokerage and strategic advisory firm for surgery and radiation oncology centers. With more than 15 years experience in healthcare, he has completed acquisition searches for more than 200 healthcare clients, ranging from physician-owned cancer centers to large corporations focusing on the oncology market.

Michael E. Russell II, MD.
Dr. Russell is a spine surgeon at Azalea Orthopaedics in Tyler, Texas. He serves on the board of directors and as president of Physician Hospitals of America and Texas Spine and Joint Hospital in Tyler. He earned his medical degree at the University of Southwestern Medical School in Dallas a completed a spine surgery fellowship at The Carolinas Medical Center at Charlotte (N.C.).

Mary Ryan, RN. Ms. Ryan is the administrator of Tri State Surgery Center, a multispecialty facility in Dubuque, Iowa. Currently managed by Health Inventures, the center was launched in 1998 by Medical Associates Clinics and Health Plans and Mercy Hospital. Ms. Ryan has also served as regional director during her tenure with Health Inventures.


Dan Saale. Mr. Saale is the executive vice president and CFO of Nueterra. He oversees all the financial activities of the company and directs the financial services within each of Nueterra's physician partnership ventures. He was previously vice president of finance for Health Midwest.

Karen Sablyak, CPA.
Ms. Sablyak is CFO and executive vice president of management services at Physicians Endoscopy, which develops and manages endoscopic ASCs. She has directed a transition to a paperless A/R billing system and strives to enhance performance through the company's payor contracting services, group purchasing discounts and performance benchmarking.

Nader J. Samii. Mr. Samii is CEO of National Medical Billing Services, a leading revenue cycle outsourcing company focused strictly on ASCs. He was the co-founder and president of revenue cycle company, Ajuba International and has also worked as a corporate finance attorney and an investment banker at both Merrill Lynch and UBS.

Kuldip S. Sandhu, MD, FACP, FACG.
Dr. Sandhu is a gastroenterologist at the Sutter Roseville (Calif.) Endoscopy Center in and is president of Capitol Gastroenterology Consultants Medical Group. He completed his internship and his residency in internal medicine at MLK-Drew Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Marcy Sasso.
Ms. Sasso is currently the administrator at Raritan Valley Surgery Center in Somerset, N.J. She was previously the director of operations at the Ambulatory Surgical Center of Union County in Union, N.J., and has experience in many roles at other surgery centers and at Saint Barnabas Hospital.

Tona Savoie, RN. Ms. Savoie is administrative director of Bayou Region Surgical Center in Thibodaux, La. The ASC operates as a 50-50 partnership between physician investors and a subsidiary of the local community hospital, Thibodaux Regional Medical Center. It is managed by ASD Management.

John Schario, MBA. Mr. Schario is CEO of Nueterra Healthcare and brings together the extensive resources that let Nueterra develop, operate and nurture ambulatory care facilities including ASCs and surgical hospitals. Her managerial background includes the development and operation of surgery centers, imaging facilities and occupational medicine clinics.

Bob Scheller Jr., CPA, CASC. Mr. Scheller is the COO of the Nikitis Resource Group. In the past 15 years, he has been involved in the development and management of more than 50 surgery centers. He is currently responsible for nationwide development, management and consulting services for NRG.

Donald Schellpfeffer, MD. Dr. Schellpfeffer is CEO of Medical Facilities Corp., and has more than 18 years of experience in ambulatory surgical environments. 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.

Robert M. Schwartz, JD.
Mr. Schwartz is managing director of strategic resources with Proliance Surgeons. He is a former senior administrator at Yale New Haven (Conn.) Hospital and former senior vice president of American Medical Response.

Bruce A. Scott, MD.
Dr. Scott is the medical director of SurgeCenter of Louisville (Ky.) and serves on the physician leadership team for SCA. Dr. Scott is a board-certified otolaryngologist and founder and president of Operative Ventures.

Matt Searles.
Mr. Searles is the managing director of Merritt Healthcare, a company he has served with for more than 10 years. He has managed and advised dozens of healthcare facilities. His background includes experience in corporate finance and venture capital-backed companies.

Phenelle Segal, RN, CIC.
Ms. Segal is the president of Infection Control Consulting Services. She has more than 28 years of experience in infection prevention and control, and has led the State of Pennsylvania's mandatory Healthcare-Associated Infections Advisory panel. She also provides consulting services to ASCs, an acute care hospital and nursing home facilities.

John Seitz. Mr. Seitz is the co-founder, chairman and CEO of Ambulatory Surgical Group. He also serves as CEO of MMX Holdings, which includes the Manage My ASC platform. He has more than 25 years of experience in healthcare, having previously co-founded and served as president of Surgem, based in Oradell, N.J. He previously founded and served as CEO of Cornerstone Physicians.

Caryl Serbin, RN, BSN, LHRM.
Ms. Serbin is executive vice president and chief strategy officer for SourceMedical, which provides clinical and business software solutions for ambulatory surgery centers. She was founder and CEO of Serbin Surgery Center Billing, which was acquired by SourceMedical as the core of their new billing division, Revenue Cycle Solutions.


David Shapiro, MD. Dr. Shapiro is a partner with Ambulatory Surgery Co., an ASC consulting company. In addition to his time as a practicing anesthesiologist, he has served on the board of directors for the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association and chaired the Florida Society of Ambulatory Surgery Centers.

Jeffrey Shanton. Mr. Shanton is the director of billing at Journal Square Surgical Center in Jersey City, N.J. He also serves as chair of the Advoccy & Legislative Affairs Committee for the New Jersey Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers. He is an ASC industry activist and has met with New Jersey lawmakers on ASC-related legislation. Previously, Mr. Shanton served as director of billing for American Surgical Centers.

Joshua A. Siegel, MD.
Dr. Siegel is the sports medicine director at Access Sports Medicine & Orthopaedics in Exeter, N.H., and the founding partner and managing member of Northeast Surgical Care. He has treated professional, national and Division I collegiate athletes and has mastered the latest techniques in arthroscopic surgical treatments of the knee, shoulder and elbow.

Jeffrey Simmons.
As chief development officer for Westchester, Ill.-based Regent Surgical Health, Mr. Simmons is responsible for overseeing the company's acquisition and development of surgery centers. He began his healthcare career more than 25 years ago as vice president of marketing at American Medical International, overseeing business development for 18 hospitals.

Lynda Dowman Simon.
Ms. Simon is the administrator at St. John's Clinic: Head & Neck Surgery in Springfield, Mo. She has been at her center since 1994 and previously worked for 13 years at a local hospital in the open heart center and urology departments.

Bill Simon.
Mr. Simon is co-founder and vice president of Innovative Healthcare, which he founded in 1995. He also 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.

Thomas A. Simpson, MD, FACS.
Dr. Simpson is chairman of the board of directors for the Iowa City Ambulatory Surgery Center and led the board of this multispecialty ASC as it came together to plan and develop the ASC with Mercy Hospital. He also serves as president of the board of directors for Mercy of Iowa City Regional PHO and is a former president of the Iowa Academy of Otolaryngology.

Carol Slagle, CASC. Ms. Slagle is the administrator of Specialty Surgery Center of Central New York, managed by ASCOA. She was in the first group to take the CASC credential test and previously worked in the medical sales field. She recently oversaw the ASC as it made major expansion and renovation.

John Smalley. Mr. Smalley is a current special consultant and former principal with Healthcare Venture Professionals. He has more than 30 years of experience with both public and private healthcare organizations. Prior to co-founding HVP with partner Chuck Owen, Mr. Smalley served as senior vice president for Quorum Health Resources and its predecessor companies.

Brooke Smith. Ms. Smith is administrator of the Maryland Surgery Center for Women in Rockville, a center affiliated with Ambulatory Surgical Centers of America. She successfully took a struggling ASC and turned it into a safe, profitable and professional facility, increasing collections from $70,000 a month to $240,000 and decreasing days in A/R to 25 days.

Sheldon S. Sones, RPh, FASCP. Mr. Sones is president of Sheldon S. Sones and Associates, a pharmacy and accreditation consulting firm based in Newington, Conn. Established in 1985, the group, serving more than 100 sites in five states, specializes in safe medication management and pharmacy consulting to freestanding and hospital-based ambulatory surgical, endoscopy and renal dialysis centers.

Kenny Spitler. Mr. Spitler is chief development officer for Interventional Management Services. In his role as CDO for IMS, he oversaw all development activities for the company, including syndications and acquisitions. Mr. Spitler previously served as senior vice president – development for HealthMark Partners.

Donna St. Louis. Ms. St. Louis currently serves as a vice president for ambulatory services at BayCare Health System. Before joining BayCare, she was a group president for Symbion and responsible for more than 45 ASCs.

Jimmy St. Louis III, MBA. Mr. St. Louis is the CEO of Advanced Healthcare Partners as well as a strategic advisor to Laser Spine Institute. Advanced Healthcare Partners is a consulting firm that aims to identify and invest in intelligent, forward-thinking companies and projects.

Donald E. Steen.
Mr. Steen founded United Surgical Partners International in Feb. 1998 and served as its CEO until April 2004. He continues to serve as chairman of the board of directors and the executive committee. He is also a general partner at Walsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe.

Marc Steen. Mr. Steen is market president in Atlanta for United Surgical Partners International, where he oversees six USPI ambulatory surgery centers in the Atlanta market, along with management responsibilities for Resurgens Orthopaedics. He previously served as vice president of development and operations in Arizona and Nevada markets.

John C. Steinmann, DO. Dr. Steinmann treats traumatic spinal injuries as well as degenerative problems of the neck and low back. He is the director of Spine Trauma at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Calton, Calif., as well as an assistant clinical professor at Western University.

Steven H. Stern, MD, MBA.
Dr. Stern is vice president for Cardiac & Orthopedics and Neurosciences at UnitedHealthcare. He is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon subspecializing in adult reconstruction. At UnitedHealthcare, he is responsible for issues relating to musculoskeletal care including joint arthroplasty surgery.

Jim Stilley. Mr. Stilley is the CEO of Northwest Michigan Surgery Center, a multispecialty surgery center in Traverse City, Mich. He has been with NMSC for 4.5 years. Prior to coming to the surgery center, he was an executive director with National Surgical Care and served as a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy.

Debra Saxton Stinchcomb, RN, BSN, CASC. Ms. Stinchcomb is a consultant at Progressive Surgical Solutions. She previously served as director of operations preparation and transition management for Health Inventures. She has also held positions as an ASC administrator, assistant regional vice president and regional vice president.

Stephanie L. Stinson, RN, BSN, CASC.
Ms. Stinson is administrative director for Strictly Pediatrics, a pediatrics-only ASC in Austin, Texas, managed by ASD Management. Working as a nurse for 17 years, she served as a staff nurse in the neurosurgical intensive care unit, surgery and recovery rooms.

Lewis Strong, MD. Dr. Strong is the president of the Skyline Endoscopy Center in Loveland, Colo., a Pinnacle III facility. He earned his MD and completed his internship, residency and fellowship at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. Dr. Strong was a founding member of the local physician's health organization and served as its president for four years.

C. Scott Stone. Mr. Stone is the executive vice president and chief financial and administrative officer for Source Medical Solutions. He has experience as COO of Nelson Brantley Glass Contractors and as group vice president of eBusiness and internet operations at HealthSouth.

Shaun Sweeney. Mr. Sweeney is the vice president of sales at Cygnus Medical, a company that specializes in products and services for the endoscopy suite, operating room and sterile processing department.

Alsie Sydness-Fitzgerald, RN, CASC. Ms. Sydness-Fitzgerald is on the board of directors for the ASC Association and participated in the development of the Certified Administrator Surgery Center credential. She has built up outstanding experience in the clinical, business and management aspects of the ASC industry as the director of clinical operations for HCA's ambulatory surgery division.


Charles Tadlock, MD. Dr. Tadlock is the founder of Surgery Center of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas and practices pain medicine and anesthesiology. He is currently affiliated with the Center for Pain Management in Las Vegas. Dr. Tadlock is also the CEO of Epiphany Surgical Solutions and an avid developer of surgery centers.

Kevin Tadych, MD. Dr. Tadych is medical director Northwoods Surgery Center in Woodruff, Wis., a Pinnacle III facility. His practice is Northern Wisconsin Bone & Joint in Minocqua, and consists of general orthopedics with a focus on sports medicine, carpal tunnel syndrome, spine disorders and joint replacements.

Barry Tanner. Mr. Tanner has been president and CEO of Physicians Endoscopy since 1999. The company currently manages 17 endoscopy centers. He previously co-founded Navix Radiology Systems, helping the company grow to more than $75 million in revenues, and was COO of HealthInfusion.

Vivek Taparia. Mr. Taparia is director of business development for Regent Surgical Health. He performs due diligence on new business opportunities and leads strategic initiatives for the company's centers. He previously developed marketing strategies for a surgical product line at Johnson & Johnson.

Larry Taylor. Mr. Taylor is president and CEO of Practice Partners in Healthcare. He previously served as president and COO for a large provider of ASCs and has worked with physicians on projects ranging from acute care to diagnostics, physical rehabilitation and outpatient surgery centers. Mr. Taylor entered healthcare as a certified athletic trainer and focused on delivery of sports medicine and orthopedic care.

Larry Teuber, MD. Dr. Teuber is the founder and physician executive of Black Hills Surgery Center, one of the country's most successful small surgical hospitals, and is a board-certified neurological surgeon. He is president of Medical Facilities Corp., and the founder and managing partner of The Spine Center in Rapid Falls, S.D.

David Thoene. Mr. Thoene is a founder of Medical Surgical Partners. He was previously the vice president of business development for Titan Health. He has 24 years of experience consulting for and developing ASCs along the West Coast, including the turnkey development of ASCs, hospitals and medical office buildings. He has developed surgery center investments for physicians, academic medical centers and health systems.

Dan Thomas. Mr. Thomas is the president of Provista, a group purchasing company. He is the former CEO of VIant, a large independent PPO network. Before that, he served as chairman of the board of directors at Concentra and served as the company's president and CEO.

Joyce (Deno) Thomas. Ms. Thomas is senior vice president of operations for Regent Surgical Health. Before joining Regent, she served as the executive director of Loveland (Colo.) Surgery Center and worked for HealthSouth as a regional director of quality improvement and as an administrator.

George Tinawi, MD. Dr. Tinawi is a co-founder of Surgery Center Partners and its management subsidiary, Endoscopy Management Services Organization. He was a practicing physician in Mountain View, Calif., from 1986-2004, developing a clear understanding of the business issues faced by physicians in today's challenging environment.

William Tobler, MD. Dr. Tobler is a neurological surgeon and president and director of neurosurgery at The Christ Hospital Spine Surgery Center in Cincinnati. He earned his medical degree from University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and is a member of numerous professional organizations, including North American Spine Society and Congress of Neurological Surgeons.

Daniel J. Tomes, MD. Dr. Tomes is a neurological and spine surgeon, and president of Southwest Lincoln (Neb.) Surgery Center, a Blue Chip Surgical Partners facility. He serves on the board of directors for Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital in Lincoln and is the medical director for Gogela Neuroscience Institute, BryanLGH Medical Center in Lincoln.

Kimberly L. Tude Thuot, MAOM, CMPE.
Ms. Tude Thuot is the administrator and executive of Yakima (Wash.) Ambulatory Surgical Center, a three-OR, physician-owned, multispecialty ASC. She began as a nursing and dental assistant before moving into administration at dental practices.


Arnaldo Valedon, MD. Dr. Valedon is the chief ambulatory division and managing partner of First Colonies Anesthesia Associates in Baltimore. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Anesthesiology and currently serves on the ASC Association's Program Committee for ASCs for 2011.

LoAnn Vande Leest, RN. Ms. Vande Leest is the administrator at The Surgery Center, a large, multi-specialty ASC located in Franklin, Wis. With a 30-year career that has been largely OR-based, Ms. Vande Leest has the unique perspective of having been a surgical technologist, circulating RN, educator in surgical technology and currently administrator. She also serves as a surveyor for AAAHC and volunteers for other leadership roles in various OR, ASC and management organizations. 

Pedro Vergne-Marini, MD. Dr. Vergne-Marini is founder and managing member of Physicians' Capital Investments, which is based in Plano, Texas. It has developed and constructed 14 medical office and clinical facilities in just its first three years. More than 500 physicians have invested in PCI projects. The company currently has 11 projects in development or construction.

Jonathan Vick. Mr. Vick is founder and president of ASCs Inc., which is based in Valley Center, Calif., and has assisted in development, merger and acquisition transactions for more than 200 physician-owned ASCs, endoscopy centers and surgical hospitals. He previously founded and was a principle shareholder of Surgery Center Development Corp., as well as a corporate partner for a national network of surgery and endoscopy centers.

George A. Violin, MD.
Dr. Violin is a board-certified ophthalmologist and one of the three founding principals of Ambulatory Surgical Centers of America. He owned and developed two ASCs and a large, multiple-office ophthalmic practice in eastern Massachusetts.

Jeffrey L. Visotsky, MD, FACS.
Dr. Visotsky is a member of Illinois Bone and Joint Institute and founder of the Morton Grove (Ill.) Surgery Center. He is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and specializes in conditions of the hand, elbow and shoulder, arthroscopy shoulder/elbow, shoulder reconstruction and replacement, among other areas.

Kara Vittetoe. Ms. Vittetoe is an administrator, Thomas Johnson Surgery Center in Frederick, Md., affiliated with Ambulatory Surgical Centers of America. Surgeons at the ASC focus on general surgery, gynecology, neurospine, podiatry and urology. She has served with the center since it opened in 2008.

Brice Voithofer. Mr. Voithofer leads the anesthesia, pain management and surgery center division of AdvantEdge Healthcare Solutions. He is responsible for operations, client support and growth. He has experience in managing radiology, anesthesia and pathology practices and previously served at medical billing and payor firms in several capacities.


Jack Wagner. Mr. Wagner is president and CEO of Micro-Scientific Industries, a company focused on producing products to prevent microbial transmission in the healthcare industry. The company produces products for hand care, medical and surgical equipment and instrumental disinfection, ultrasonic care and delicate blade cleaners.

Dianne Wallace, RN, BSM, MBA.
Ms. Wallace is the executive director of the Menomonee Falls (Wis.) Ambulatory Surgery Center. She has administrative experience in hospitals, home health, medical groups and ambulatory surgery. She has been president of the Wisconsin Surgery Center Association and the MGMA Ambulatory Surgery Center Assembly executive committee.

Randy Ware.
Mr. Ware is the president and founder of West Coast Medical Resources, a medical supplies surplus company. He is co-founder and previously served as vice president of Custom Orthotic Laboratory and has experience in the payroll processing industry.

Michelle Warren, RN, BBA.
Ms. Warren is the executive director of Powder River Surgery Center in Gillette, Wyo. She began her career in healthcare as a surgical tech and has spent many years as an operating room traveling nurse, working mostly in trauma, orthopedic, spine and open heart specialties.

Michael Weaver.
Mr. Weaver is a vice present of acquisitions and development at Symbion. He is a nationally recognized speaker on surgery center and physician-owned hospital acquisitions and development, and is a contributor to several national trade publications.

Drigan Weider, MD. Dr. Weider is a board member of Boulder (Colo.) Surgery Center, a Pinnacle III facility. His practice is Mapleton Hill Orthopaedics in Boulder. Dr. Wieder has developed a specialty in sports medicine and a strong interest in arthroscopic shoulder and knee reconstructions.

Robert Welti, MD. Dr. Welti is senior vice president of operations for Regent Surgical Health. He previously served as the medical director and administrator of the Santa Barbara Surgery Center and also was affiliated with Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital for 20 years.

Thomas Wherry, MD. Dr. Wherry is co-founder of Total Anesthesia Solutions. In addition to his roles as medical director for the Surgery Center of Maryland in Towson and consulting medical director for Health Inventures, he has collaborated with professionals in the United Kingdom, Japan and Kuwait to improve the delivery of ambulatory surgery.

Robert Westergard, CPA.
Dr. Westergard is the CFO of Ambulatory Surgical Centers of America. He previously served as the controller for Truman Capital Advisors and has experience in finance and accounting in the software, chemical and healthcare industries

Kathleen Whitlow, RN, BS, CASC.
Ms. Whitlow serves as COO for Blue Chip Surgical Center Partners. She joined the company as a partner and vice president of operations. She has more than 25 years of experience in the medical/healthcare industry, working in a variety of capacities and positions.

William H. Wilcox.
Mr. Wilcox serves as the president and CEO of United Surgical Partners International. He previously served as CEO of United Dental Care, president of the Surgery Group of HCA and president and CEO of the ambulatory surgery division of HCA.

Donald Wilson.
Mr. Wilson founded a predecessor to Cirrus Health in 1996 and now serves as Cirrus' CEO. Over the last 10 years, his focus has been exclusively devoted to the development of medical operations platforms and medically oriented real estate projects.

Kimberly L. Wood, MD. Dr. Wood is co-chair of the ASC Quality Collaboration and founder of kmdWOOD, which provides consulting services to the ASC industry. She has participated in several collaborative and cooperative initiatives, including the ASC Advocacy Committee and the ASC Coalition.

Terry Woodbeck. Mr. Woodbeck is the CEO of Tulsa (Okla.) Spine & Specialty Hospital. He has more than 30 years of healthcare experience, including physician practice management, clinic administration and research in the field of capitation rates and managed care contracting. He previously served as CEO of Oklahoma Spine and Brain Institute in Tulsa.

Kim Woodruff. Ms. Woodruff is the vice president of corporate finance and compliance at Pinnacle III, and is a member of the Healthcare Billing Management Association. She previously served as practice manager for a group of psychologists and business office manager and controller for an outpatient physical and occupational therapy practice.


Tom Yerden. Mr. Yerden is CEO and founder of TRY HealthCare Solutions in Salmon, Idaho. He has experience developing more than 70 surgery centers and founding Aspen Healthcare. He has also served in executive positions with several healthcare systems and large physician group practices.

Cindy Young, RN, CASC. Ms. Young is the administrative director of the Surgery Center of Farmington (Mo.), where she started as a staff nurse and moved into the administrator position. She previously was a nurse at a rural hospital.

David Zarin, MD. Dr. Zarin is senior vice president, medical affairs, for United Surgical Partners International and one of the founding partners of Texas ENT Specialists in Houston. Dr. Zarin is currently the chairman of the board and chief of staff at TOPS Surgical Specialty Hospital and serves in the Expert Group of the ASC Quality Collaboration.

Joseph Zasa, JD. Mr. Zasa is a managing and founding partner ASD Management, where he works with existing ASCs that require turnaround expertise as well as developing new outpatient surgery centers. He previously served as the president of the Texas Ambulatory Surgery Center Association and continues to serve on the board.

Robert Zasa, MAHHA, FACMPE. Mr. Zasa is a managing and founding partner of ASD Management. His career spans more than four decades of managing and developing ASCs. He is a fellow in the American College of Medical Practice Executives.

Becky Zigler-Otis. Ms. Zigler-Otis is the administrator of the Ambulatory Surgical Center of Stevens Point (Wis.), a position she has held since Jan. 2008. Before coming to the center, she worked at Bay Area Medical Center in Marinette, Wis., where she held many positions over a 10-year period.

J.A. Ziskind, JD, MBA, PhD. Mr. Ziskind is the founder, president and CEO of Global Surgical Partners, which focuses on developing and managing hospital/physician and physician-owned joint-ventured ASCs. He has been actively involved in Florida's healthcare industry over the past 35 years, having served as CEO of Cedars Medical Center and as a healthcare lawyer.

Greg Zoch. Mr. Zoch is managing director and a partner with Kaye/Bassman, where he has marketed healthcare organizations and been involved in recruitment. His primary focus is on the strategic growth and staffing initiatives of client companies that develop, manage, consult with or own and operate ASCs and specialty hospitals.

Chris Zorn. Mr. Zorn is vice president at Spine Surgical Innovation, global distributor of the Swivel Port MIS System. He is also executive director of Minimal Incision-Maximum Sight Institute, which aims to increase the awareness about the Swivel Port and help physicians and administrators network with other specialists with common challenges, among other services.

Bryan Zowin. Mr. Zowin is president of Physicians Advantage, based in Jacksonville, Fla. The company provides the Comprehensive Asset Protection Solutions program to help physicians with planning and implementing advanced wealth preservation and accumulation strategies.

Faris Zureikat. Mr. Zureikat is an administrator at North Texas Surgery Center in Dallas. The ASC is accredited by the Joint Commission and includes specialists in dental and oral surgery, orthopedic surgery, ophthalmology, podiatry, urology and pain management, among others.

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