Al Wilson leads StrideCare, a multi-specialty physician group specializing in vascular, podiatry, and wound care, with 60 locations across five major markets in Texas. Under his leadership, StrideCare has achieved sustainable double-digit growth year over year, transforming it into one of Texas’s fastest-growing healthcare organizations. By integrating diverse physician groups into a unified, high-performing organization, Al has fostered strong physician engagement and alignment, creating a culture that delivers measurable value for patients, healthcare providers, and insurers.

Known for his collaborative and empowering leadership style, Al has a proven track record of transforming physician groups, streamlining operations, and driving sustainable growth. His vision for StrideCare focuses on expanding its leadership in lower extremity health, improving patient outcomes, and building a sustainable model for growth and innovation that benefits the communities it serves. Al’s commitment to operational excellence and physician-driven care has established StrideCare as a trusted partner in healthcare.

Alan Cooper, Ph.D., MBA

Alan Cooper has over 25 years of experience in strategic organizational transformation, with a specific focus on organizational development (OD), operational excellence (Lean, Six Sigma), patient experience, and leadership development. His work consistently emphasizes achieving an organization’s strategic mission.

Dr. Cooper is currently the Chief Performance Officer and Vice President for Organizational Learning and Innovation at Catholic Health on Long Island, NY. In this role, he is responsible for the overall strategy and execution of talent development and employee experience, as well as other performance-related initiatives. He and his team created the Center for Performance Excellence, a comprehensive “corporate university” responsible for developing leaders at all levels and enhancing the skills, knowledge, and abilities of all employees across a large integrated health system.

He previously worked with several organizations, including White Plains Hospital in New York, where he served as Chief People and Performance Officer, responsible for the overall talent strategy of the organization and the development of programs that attracted, retained, motivated, and developed the talent needed to drive a performance-based culture.

Dr. Cooper has also worked with several organizations across industries, providing consulting services and education in operational excellence, organizational development, change management, patient experience, learning, and leadership development.

Alejandro Fernandez is a seasoned healthcare executive with over 30 years of experience leading and growing multi-site physician practice management companies. He is the CEO of Synergy Orthopedic Specialists, the largest private orthopedic medical group in San Diego, CA, with over 50 providers, surgeons, and specialists across 15 locations, four physical therapy sites, an MRI center, and Ambulatory Surgery Center. 

Alex has a proven track record of delivering operational excellence, financial performance, and strategic expansion in various specialties, including dermatology, gastroenterology, and orthopedics. He is also an advisor, investor, and board member for private equity and venture capital businesses in the healthcare sector. He holds a master’s degree in business from the University of Miami and is a certified medical practice executive (CMPE) through the American College of Medical Practice Executives. He also received the 2024 Practice Executive of the Year from the American Alliance of Orthopedic Executives.

Alex Aptekman serves as Chief Transformation Officer at Invo Healthcare, an Ares Management backed healthcare staffing platform.

He focuses on special situations and turnarounds at private-equity backed healthcare businesses, where he leverages his investing and operations background.

Alex served as COO at 360 Behavioral Health, a provider of behavioral, mental health, and respite services. Prior to this role, Alex held interim CEO and CFO roles at Canadian Addiction Treatment Centres, the largest network of addiction treatment clinics in Canada. He has led DeNovos, M&A, IT implementations, virtual therapy, divestitures, recruiting, go-to-market and various other transformation initiatives across departments.

Alex began his career in finance working in global investment banking at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Union Square Advisors, working on M&A and capital raising mandates across sectors, before moving into healthcare private equity at DW Healthcare Partners.

Alex holds an MBA in Healthcare Management from the Wharton School and a BBA, Summa Cum Laude, in Finance from the Schulich School of Business.

Amir Dan Rubin has focused his career on helping transform health care. He currently serves as CEO & Founding Managing Partner of Healthier Capital, a venture capital firm focused on technology-powered healthcare innovation. He previously served as Chair & CEO of the technology-enabled primary care company, One Medical, which he took public in 2020 and which was acquired by Amazon in 2023. At Amazon, he launched One Medical membership as an add-on to Prime. Prior to that, Amir served as an EVP at the Fortune 5 company, UnitedHealth Group and its Optum division. Prior to that, he served as CEO at Stanford University’s health system, COO at UCLA’s health system, COO at SUNY Stony Brook’s health system, and in leadership roles at Memorial Hermann’s health system. He has twice received an EY “Entrepreneur of the Year” award.

Andre currently serves as Chief Executive Officer for the Illinois Bone and Joint Institute LLC, a multispecialty Orthopedic practice in the greater Chicago area.

The practice consists of approximately 165 Physicians with specialties in Orthopedics, Rheumatology, Pain Management, Physiatry, Podiatry and Geriatrics. IBJI also employs ~ 275 Physical and Occupational Therapists and 125 midlevel Providers with a total employee count of ~ 2,250. He reports directly to the Board of Managers of IBJI and supervises both strategic and operational aspects of the organization. IBJI has ~$300m in Clinical Revenues/year, with an additional ~$200m in Ancillary and ASC Income.

He serves on the Value Based Committee for the OrthoForum group and also oversees IBJI’s “OrthoSync” program, a convener organization that serves clients in CMS’s BPCI-A Model as well as CJR models on behalf of primarily Orthopedic Practices.

Previous to his CEO role, Andre served as Director of Ancillary and Value Based Medicine Service lines for IBJI. Along with these responsibilities, he was the CEO and Managing Member of Elevate LLC, a healthcare consulting and services company formed in 2010, specializing in Ancillary and Value service line initiation and expansion with specific alignment to Bundled Payment and Risk models and strategies.

Between 2005 and 2010 he was the Director of IBJI’s Rehabilitation Services network, the 3^rd largest outpatient Physical Therapy provider in the Chicagoland area.

Professional Philosophy

Andre’s professional passion focuses on modern day healthcare redesign strategies. He believes strongly in an “agile” management style so leaders can develop and function to their fullest capacity, and teams can adapt to rapid market fluctuations in a similar fashion.

He is an advocate for transformational and transparent activities beyond the current state of healthcare, along with a renewed mindset towards truly integrated practice patterns, all designed in a Patient centric manner.

From an actuarial perspective, Andre believes that the future models for effective healthcare delivery platforms are yet to be developed. As such, one has the ability to be truly creative and innovative, as long as you operate from a sound foundational platform. Data and Informatics are key determinants of success when effectively integrated with applied and timely execution of qualitative management decisions.

Growth creates strain – it is a normal component of healthy environments. The ability to navigate opportunities and simultaneously achieve consistent and optimal outcomes should always define organizational success.

   Additional

• Andre is also a frequent speaker in various forums, primarily centered around conceptual redesign of modern healthcare payment methodologies – both from a Federal as well as Commercial standpoint.
• During the period from 1996 to 2001, he was also a member of the United States National Rugby Team – first as a player, including 1999 Rugby World Cup Squad member and thereafter as part of the Coaching team at the 2003 RWC.
• Andre continues serving on USA Rugby’s Medical Advisory Board as of 2023
• Pastime favorites include Travel with his Family, Golf and College Sports.

Andrew Colbert is a Senior Managing Director at Ziegler and a founding member of Ziegler’s Healthcare investment banking practice. He specializes in advising physician practices on strategic and financing alternatives including mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, joint ventures, and strategic partnerships. Andrew is also involved in Ziegler’s principal investing efforts and serves on the Strategic Leadership Committee at Ziegler.

Andrew has completed over 65 M&A and capital raising transactions totaling over $5.7 billion in value across a wide spectrum of healthcare subsectors including physician groups/MSOs (including: primary care, radiology, orthopedics, GI, women’s health, urology, emergency medicine, anesthesia, hospitalist), healthcare information technology, telemedicine, wellness, managed care, provider and payor outsourcing, and revenue cycle management. He takes pride in developing long-term relationships with his clients and brings creative structuring insights and deep domain expertise to achieve premium outcomes.

He is the author of over 25 publications, is the recipient of the Emerging Leaders Award by the M&A Advisor, and is a frequent speaker at many conferences and industry events.

Prior to joining Ziegler, Andrew was an investment banker in the healthcare group at Friedman, Billings, Ramsey & Co.

Andrew Mintz is a seasoned healthcare executive with extensive experience in leading and transforming multi-specialty healthcare organizations. Currently serving as CEO of The Smilist Management, Andrew oversees over 60 state-of-the-art dental offices across the Northeast, driving patient satisfaction, innovation in clinical care, and the adoption of advanced technologies.

Previously, Andrew served as CEO of Pinnacle Fertility, where he set new standards for patient outcomes and operational efficiency in fertility care, and as CEO of Women’s Care, where he led value-based care transitions and expanded high-quality women’s health services across multiple states. With a proven track record of leadership, mergers and acquisitions, and operational excellence, Andrew continues to shape patient-centered, technology-driven healthcare solutions.

As Chair of the Healthcare Practice Group and Co-Chair of the Healthcare Private Equity Team, Angela Humphreys leads the firm’s national healthcare practice. Angela is a go-to lawyer for private equity firms on complex transactions in the healthcare industry. She began her career in public accounting and has more than 20 years of experience working exclusively in the healthcare M&A space. With both deep corporate and healthcare regulatory experience, Angela is highly skilled in developing innovative solutions to help clients achieve their business goals while navigating the complex healthcare regulatory, tax and employee benefits landscape. She has counseled on hundreds of transactions in the healthcare industry, including physician practice management platforms, ambulatory surgery centers, health plans, healthcare information technology companies, behavioral health, home health, hospice, clinical research organizations and hospitals and health systems, among others. She has been recognized nationally for her work in the healthcare private equity space, including by Mergers and Acquisitions Magazine as one of the Most Influential Women in Mid-Market M&A and by Law360 as Health Law MVP of the Year.

Anthony Brown is an experienced healthcare executive with a strong background in leading organizational strategy and operations. He currently serves as the CEO of OrthoIllinois, where he has been driving growth and operational excellence since January 2022. Prior to his role as CEO, Anthony was the Chief Strategy Officer at OrthoIllinois, focusing on strategic initiatives to enhance business performance. He has also held senior leadership positions at Northwestern Medicine as Vice President of Operations and at Centegra Health System, where he was instrumental in clinical effectiveness and innovation.

Aytan Dahukey is a partner in the Corporate Practice Group at Sheppard Mullin, a leader of the firm’s Private Equity Team and a member of the firm’s Healthcare and Emerging Growth/Venture Capital Teams. He has represented private equity funds in numerous large leveraged buy-out, add-on and divestiture transactions and has also represented owners of a wide variety of private businesses in sales to private equity funds and other strategic investors.

Within the healthcare industry, Aytan’s practice focuses on public and private mergers and acquisitions and general corporate counseling representing a wide variety of healthcare-related for-profit and non-profit clients across the country. He represents private equity funds, growth equity funds, search funds and other sponsors in platform structuring, acquisitions and growth investments in the healthcare services, health IT and medical device sectors, serves as outside general counsel and buy-side acquisition counsel for private equity- and growth-equity backed portfolio companies and also acts as lead outside general counsel and sell side M&A counsel for a variety of health insurance companies and health plans, independent physician associations, large single- and multi-specialty healthcare provider groups, behavioral health providers and institutions, urgent care providers, ambulatory surgery center providers, hospitals and hospital-affiliated foundations, home health and hospice agencies, provider management services organizations, digital health providers, healthcare IT companies, accountable care organizations and other providers of healthcare services. Aytan has assisted with cutting-edge transactions stemming from healthcare reform for several years. In addition to leading numerous recent high-profile merger and acquisition transactions in the health insurance and healthcare service spaces, he has assisted in the organization and structuring of multiple hospital foundation clinics and integration of physician practices with foundations and regularly works with clients in efforts to develop value-based care arrangements including joint-ventures, value-based and risk-based contracts and other innovative healthcare arrangements.

With 20 years of progressive executive experience in physician practice management, Cara brings both operational skill and aspirational vision to First Fertility.   In particular, she has a history of managing through change and rapid growth while prioritizing patient care and instilling a culture of excellence. Prior to joining First Fertility, Ms. Reymann was President of a leading Midwestern fertility practice.  Before entering the fertility sector, she was Market President of PEGI Solutions where she led growth strategy and operations for the company’s largest single specialty practice, Capital Digestive Care from 2010 to 2022.  During that time, the group grew from 57 physicians to more than 100 and was recognized as one of the largest and most esteemed GI specialty groups in the country. 

Cathy Kowalski is a seasoned healthcare executive utilizing her 30+ years of industry experience to bring together a powerful combination of business acumen, physician relationships and clinical knowledge to deliver a superior kind of surgical company.  She serves as co-founder, president and chief operating officer at Lync health Partners. 

As a Registered Nurse and founder of four different companies, she brings a unique perspective to the world of healthcare entrepreneurship. 

Prior to founding Lync, Kowalski served as the chief operating officer of 7 Springs Orthopedics, a comprehensive practice treating muscle, bone and joint injuries.  In 2006, Kowalski founded Meridian Surgical Partners, where she spent 12 years as executive vice president and chief operating officer.  Meridian focused on ambulatory surgery center development, acquisition and management. In 2001, she cofounded Surgical Alliance Corporation, an orthopedic specialty surgical hospital company. Ms. Kowalski served as a co-founder and vice president of OrthoExcel, Inc. a hospital management company focused on contractual management of orthopedic hospital business service lines.

Ms. Kowalski has served on the board of Women in Healthcare since 2021 in an effort to help develop other women in healthcare to positions of leadership. Ms. Kowalski is published and contributes to a variety of industry publications. Ms. Kowalski is married and lives in Brentwood, Tennessee.

Chris Kane is the CEO of Allergy Partners, a role he assumed in September 2023. He has been deeply involved with the organization for the years prior as a board member, where he played a key role in facilitating its growth and transition from a physician-led platform to a family office-owned model. Prior to joining Allergy Partners, Chris served as CEO of West Dermatology from 2014 to 2021, leading the organization for seven years and driving its success in the dermatology sector.

Christopher Hendrix is a Managing Director and Co-head of Underwriting at TPG Twin Brook Capital Partners, overseeing underwriting teams focused on the structuring, diligence, execution, and management of investments with a primary focus within the healthcare sector. Prior to joining TPG Twin Brook in 2016, Chris served as an Associate at Chase Capital, a division of JPMorgan Chase. Chris received a B.S. degree in Business Administration, summa cum laude, with a concentration in Finance from Fordham University.

Daniel E. Greenleaf is the Chief Executive Officer of Duly Health and Care, the largest
independent, multi-specialty physician-directed medical group in the nation. Duly has
more than 950 primary care and specialty physicians and approximately 6,000 team members, in over 190 locations; serving one million patients in greater Chicagoland. The Duly
Health and Care brand encompasses three medical groups – DuPage Medical Group,
Quincy Medical Group and The South Bend Clinic and includes five Ambulatory Surgery
Centers, five labs and 58 infusion chairs. Our value-based care service line provides
integrated care for 230,000 partial risk and 100,000 full risk lives (Medicare Advantage and
ACO Reach).
Dan is a six-time healthcare CEO including prior roles as President and CEO of Modivcare;
President and CEO of BioScrip, Inc.; Chairman and CEO of Home Solutions Infusion Services; and President and CEO of Coram Specialty Services.
Dan graduated from Denison University with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and holds
a Master of Business Administration in Health Administration from the University of Miami.
A military veteran, he was a captain & navigator in the United States Air Force & served in
Operation Desert Storm.

Dana Wang, MD, is the co-founder of Rivia Mind, a comprehensive outpatient mental health service group with a mission to set a new standard for quality of care, and to make it accessible and affordable to the community.

Dr. Wang graduated on the Dean’s Honors List from the University of California, Berkeley. She pursued a medical degree at Ben Gurion University, affiliated with Columbia Medical Center, where she was elected class representative and received the Dean’s List Honor-Distinguished Service Award. Afterward, Dr. Wang completed her psychiatry residency training at Harvard Medical School, during which she also completed a fellowship in psychodynamic psychotherapy at the Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute.

Dr. Wang has presented her work at local, national and international conferences, and co-authored book chapters and peer-reviewed articles. She is an expert on treating intergenerational trauma and family conflict and is currently authoring her first book on the subject.

Darren possesses a wealth of experience in governmental affairs and lobbying within the dynamic healthcare industry. He has extensive experience solving complex issues, such as working with legislators, media, public relations personnel, executive
administration officials, trade associations and others to resolve significant payor-provider network contract terminations. His proficiency has been instrumental in forging valuable relationships with state and federal legislators around the country. Recognized for his blend of business acumen and legal prowess, Darren has played a pivotal role as a trusted business partner and advisor to both the Boards of Directors and Executive Leadership Teams.

Prior to DLA Piper Darren served as SVP & Chief Government Affairs Officer at South Florida’s largest publicly traded healthcare company, where he established a federal and state Government Affairs department responsible for bringing in hundreds of millions of dollars in additional revenues for the company over a decade.. His strategic, proactive lobbying efforts have secured state and federal appropriations, budget increases, and other legislative wins for clients. Darren has also been instrumental in shaping federal policies and landmark legislations such as the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), the CARES Act, and the No Surprises Act. In state capitals across the country, Darren has driven Medicaid revenue growth via the legislative process, shaped healthcare provider and payor legislation, and built crucial relationships with legislators and policymakers. Darren has also proven to be a formidable force in preventing legislative proposals that would have been detrimental to the business interests of his clients and affected citizenry. Darren is a frequent public speaker on state and federal healthcare laws and the importance of advocacy.

CREDENTIALS
Education
J.D., University of Miami School of Law cum laude
Articles and Comments Editor,
University of Miami Law Review
B.A., Pennsylvania State University
Admissions
Florida
EXPERIENCE

• Successfully advocated for Medicaid increases for multiple physician specialties in more than twenty states.
• Led a coalition of physicians and provider groups to create meaningful changes to federal No Surprises Act law and regulations.
• Shaped the Affordable Care Act law and regulations to expand the definition of “primary care” to include subspecialists; this benefitted thousands of physicians around the country and expanded access to care for hundreds of thousands of vulnerable patients.
• Launched a multimillion-dollar federal and state political action committee for a national corporation and directed fundraising and PAC distributions around the country.
  PUBLICATIONS
• Global antitrust enforcers place private equity healthcare deals in the spotlight, 25 April 2024
• Federal agencies seek information on private equity involvement in healthcare, 27 March 2024
• US government targets healthcare private equity: Top points for risk management, 02 January 2024
  PRESENTATIONS AND SEMINARS
• Navigating restrictions: State and federal scrutiny of private equity investment and corporatization of healthcare, 04 June 2024
  PRIOR EXPERIENCE
  Prior to joining DLA Piper, Darren worked in various legal and executive roles for South Florida’s largest healthcare company, a publicly traded national medical group. He ended his career at the national medical group as Senior Vice President and Chief Government Affairs Officer. He started his legal career as an attorney in the healthcare department with an AmLaw 100 international law firm.
  PRO BONO
• Board of Directors, Archbold Hospital Foundation, Thomasville, Georgia
• Board of Directors, Treehouse Childrens Advocacy Center of Thomas County

Dave’s views on DSO market trends, strategy and execution are informed by his uniquely holistic vantage point having served in a variety of roles across a number of DSOs including: CEO; COO; CAO, CIO; and leadership roles within dental RCM, specialty operations, and lab service lines. Dave joined Absolute Dental in 2016.  Absolute Dental operates nearly 40 practices across Nevada, and today is proudly the largest Medicaid provider in Nevada.  Absolute Dental also offers holistic dental care under the mantra of “all dentistry one place,” to help deliver high quality, coordinated care to patients as efficiently and conveniently as possible.

In addition to his CEO and Chairman role at Absolute Dental, Dave also serves as board director of Great Expressions Dental Centers and is an active participant on the investment committee at Dental Innovation Alliance (DIA).

Dave Fitzgerald is a visionary and strategic chief executive with proven skills building and scaling healthcare organizations through solid decision-making in all functional areas of physician companies. Create durable platforms that foster physician enablement and enhance the patient experience with a focus on patient outcomes. Dave defines and executes on strategy by recruiting and developing an elite senior leadership team and by creating a collaborative environment—all aligned with a shared purpose to inspire and achieve key objectives. He can drive accountability through KPIs resulting in superior economic results, growth, optimization of resources and efficient and effective processes.

Dave has held multiple C-suite roles in his career. Most recently as a Principal at Burst Advisors where he is an advisor focused on independent physician strategy, growth, strategic partnerships, group and ASC market share, orthopedic payment bundling, medical device purchasing bundling, and market consolidation. He works with private equity firms to develop and execute their specialty physician platform initiatives. During 2019, led the operations for USMD Health System and WellMed to rebuild specialty services, expand cancer treatment operations and restore growth to their surgical hospitals. He also oversaw operations for the $2B DFW market in Medicare Advantage (Value Based Care) with over 100k lives and the only 5-star plan in DFW.

Dave was also the CEO at Frontier Derm Partners where he lead multi-state physician platform of 100+ dermatology providers in over 40 locations. He built strategy to focus on clinical quality in tandem with efficient and accountable operations. He drove vision of rapid and controlled change and developed dual branding strategy for regional areas. Dave also strengthened and enhanced ACGME Accredited Dermatology Residency Program to enhance provider experience and augment recruitment opportunity. Dave has lead teams through reorganization of field operations to scale for growth and efficiency and developed provider scorecard to provide transparent metrics for professional development and efficiency.

Dave earned a Bachelor or Science in Accounting from Brigham Young University and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Utah.

Dr. David Luu is a medical doctor and tech entrepreneur focused on longevity science. As a philanthropist and a trained pediatric cardiac surgeon, he is on a mission to extend human healthspan. In his quest to revolutionize the field, Dr. Luu has founded multiple health tech platforms, including Hearty, a concierge longevity care app and services for high-performing leaders; Juisci, an AI-powered medical education app used by 100,000 healthcare professionals and researchers; and Longevity Docs, the first network dedicated to physicians pioneering precision and evidence-based practices in longevity medicine.

David Cook, MD, FAAFP

PHYSICIAN EXECUTIVE BIO:

Dr. David Cook has spent 30 years in the medical field developing transformative practices and unique healthcare delivery systems. As a physician executive for 26 years, he has been instrumental in creating an environment where quality, service and cost come together to improve the patient experience and the healthcare culture. Integration, innovation, and strategic growth have been his main areas of focus working with both large and small medical groups, private practices, hospitals, and healthcare systems helping them to achieve success in the fee-for-service and value-based environments, as well as, in the transition. David founded the current Novant Health Family Medicine Residency program which began in 2015.

SKILLS:

• Leadership Development with physicians, mid-levels, and staff.
• Creating governance structures within large medical groups and hospital systems enabling culture change.
• Integrating specialists, primary care, and facilities.
• Development of new hospitals and hospital systems.
• Creating new approaches to the physician administrative partnership.
• Leading market share growth teams and strategic planning teams.
• Leading transition from the “Fee-for-Service” environment into “Value-Based” healthcare.
• Working with corporations, Medicare, Medicaid, and third-party payers in developing new strategies and alignment.
• Developing new primary care strategies to care for the 5% of the most significantly ill patients who utilize 80% of the healthcare dollar.
• Developing strategies for transitions of care and end-of-life care.
• Practice growth and development in a variety of markets and environments.
• Creating new preventative care models and primary care models based on Quality, Service and Cost.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

One Health Consulting Group, PLLC 2020- Present

Co-CEO One Health Consulting Group

Holston Medical Group 2019- 2020

Co-President HMG, NC.

Executive and practicing family physician.

Novant Health SVP of Population Health and Value Based Care, 2013 – 2019

Lead and direct comprehensive strategies throughout the Novant system transforming health care to a value-based delivery system encompassing the Triple Aim of quality, service, and cost.

• Data Analytics
• Payer Contracting
• Business Development
• Clinical transformation
• Care Coordination
• Patient Engagement
• Operational Improvement
• Cultural Transformation
• Clinical Integration of acute facilities, Novant Health Medical Group specialists and primary care, ancillary services, independent providers
• Development of ACO and Risk Processes

Lakeside Family Physicians, 1993-2019

Founder and Medical Director of a large 45-physician, 10-site family practice in a competitive market. Lakeside Family Physicians employs over 200 individuals and serves over 140,000 patients in 5 counties and has annual gross charges of over 50 million dollars. Incorporated into the practice are physical therapists, athletic trainers, mid-levels, diabetic educators, nutritionists, and a robust bariatric medicine program. Lakeside Family Physicians has been awarded the Level 3 Medical Home designation from NCQA and was the first practice in the area to have advanced “open” access and the “team care” approach to patient care.

­

Novant Health Medical Group Executive, 1997-2019

Novant Medical Group employs greater than 1300 providers in 3 states including 500 in 

Charlotte Market. Novant overall has over 320 clinics. The Greater Charlotte Market is

comprised of more than 50 clinics. Novant encounters approximately 3.5 million patient

visits per year. Roles held are noted below:

NHMG Co-President:  Accountable for all physician activity and integration between the hospital system and the medical group. The presidents are also responsible for the financial, quality, safety, and service metrics for all 1300 providers.

NHMG SVP of Strategic Growth, Innovation, and Integration:  Developed models of healthcare delivery for the system and the medical group. This role involves working with finance, managed care, hospital administrators, operators, physicians, and staff to create better systems and processes to improve market share, revenue, and care delivery.

NHMG Director of Revenue Cycle Services:  Accountable for the transformation and continued success of this service. Instrumental in setting goals of 25 days in AR, best cost to providers, and best customer service in the nation. The director must understand all aspects of the revenue cycle and its effects on physicians, patients, and hospitals, as well as large healthcare systems. The NMG CFO reports directly to the Physician Director of the RCS.

NHMG Council Chair:  Instrumental in development of the Council. The Council consists of 20 physicians from varied specialties and geographic regions of Novant. The Council leads the medical group in creating its vision, direction and then creating leadership teams to operate the plans set forth.

NHMG Lab and Ancillary Committee Chair:  Development of new lab and ancillary services that are successful in both the fee-for-service and value-based models.

Chair NHMG EHR Steering Committee:  Led transition to Epic from previously chosen EHR system. Created governance structure to oversee the transition and implementation of Epic. Led the medical group and system to a model of one EHR and one PM system throughout the entire organization.

UNC Business School/Novant Senior Leadership Academy Graduate:  In depth program of leadership development, business skills and management training.

Chief of Staff Presbyterian Hospital Huntersville (NHHMC):  First Chief of Staff at this facility from 2006-2009. Created the first medical staff at this facility and developed leadership teams that are still in place.

Medical Director Chief of Staff Presbyterian Hospital Huntersville (NHHMC):  Leader in the development process of this facility prior to its inception and presence. Instrumental in development of the facility’s culture and processes. Integral in creating a community backing of this facility and bringing physicians to work in the Huntersville market. Presbyterian Hospital Huntersville grew from its inception in 2006 to a 75-bed facility with robust ED volume, ambulatory surgery volume and a well-integrated physician staff. PHH now has an annual profit of well over $50 million.

Medical Director and Co-Founder Lake Norman Community Health Clinic:  1998-Present:  Created to care for the uninsured and underinsured in North Mecklenburg County. Freestanding clinic with 6500 patient visits per year and 1500 patients on record. Open 5 days a week and Wednesday evening hours. Designed for chronic and acute care with attention to prevention, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, coronary artery disease and hypertension. Developed a systematic model for patient care. This model features seamless integration within a broader Community Medical Home including specialty and hospital care.

FURTHER PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

• Development and creation of the Strategic Council system where medical group and non-medical group physicians (primary care and specialists), hospital administrators, hospital finance, operations, middle management, network development and community resources come together to develop short and long term goals and create metrics and accountability to achieve such goals.

• Active member in the American Medical Group Association’s “Fee-For-Service to Value- Based Collaborative.”  Currently working with many other national healthcare systems moving through the transition to a value-based delivery system.

• Instrumental in the creation of a Network Development team accountable to the CEO and President of the Hospital. Network Development is a group of administrators with special talents who integrate all healthcare activities within a community of physicians, patients, and hospitals. They are accountable for the seamless integration of care within a market and for increasing market share. I personally led this team and developed their current model while president of NHMG.

• Co-Creator of Novant Health’s current Heart and Wellness Program within the Greater Charlotte Market. This program is notable for its unique approach to the prevention of Stroke, Heart Attack and Diabetes through research, advanced lipid testing, advanced diagnostics, and its patient care model.

• Developed a complex and well-integrated Imaging Program within a Primary Care Practice. This program was built around the Triple Aim. Success of this program is measured by quality, cost reduction to the patient, and service. Feedback mechanisms are in place for all tests ordered insuring appropriate care, physician accountability and physician and staff education. Program includes…

• Certified Advanced Ultrasonography
• Certified Vascular Ultrasound
• Certified Echocardiography
• Nuclear Stress Testing
• CIMT testing, ABI testing, Digital Radiography

• Created a Medical Home approach to osteoporosis utilizing pathways and DEXA testing to provide physicians with a method to deliver appropriate care in a well-coordinated fashion.

• Development of integrated Urgent Care system within a primary care office allowing patients access to the right care at the right place and the right price 7 days a week.

• Created an Open Access or Advanced Access model beginning in 1993.

• Developed “Leadership Meeting” beginning in 1995. This meeting includes staff representatives from all areas of a practice including, but not limited to, front office, radiology, lab, nursing, phone, triage, referral coordinators, physicians, and management. The Leadership Group meets monthly to drive practice growth, evolution, and culture. This has been a powerful transformative tool as seen by the growth and development of Lakeside Family Physicians and the Huntersville market.

• NCQA Level 3 Medical Home Certificate for Lakeside Family Physicians. Lakeside was the first large non-academic, multi-site, family practice to achieve this recognition in North Carolina. At Lakeside Family Physicians, the goal is to not only have the certificate but also actually achieve the Triple Aim. Therefore, policies and procedures often went well past that of the NCQA certification.

• Created “Learn Well Be Well” program within the Charlotte Mecklenburg School System. “Learn Well Be Well” is a partnership with physicians, hospitals, CMS Superintendent, and the schools to create a healthy environment for the children and teachers. This program promotes exercise, healthy eating and stress reduction amongst students and teachers. The goal is to give children the skills to create healthy habits that will last a lifetime. This program recently won the Charlotte Business Journal award for Healthcare Partnerships.

• Medicaid CAN project – developing a new team-based approach to Medicaid patients. This project was undertaken to allow for community physicians to improve care and service to patients while lowering cost. This will become a model for other healthcare providers throughout the state.

• Orthopedic committee chair – developing integrative processes for orthopedics within a hospital system including outpatient care, ambulatory surgery and inpatient surgery, trauma call and integration with primary care.

• Previous chair neurology subcommittee – developing a systems approach to integrated neurology care within the hospital and outpatient arena.

• Physician Executive for small emerging markets including Rowan County and Brunswick County – instrumental in developing physician leadership, primary care and specialty integration, hospital development and creation of strategic councils.

• Development of an integrated non-operative orthopedic program within a primary care practice. Helped create a model for a primary care doctor to act as a team physician within the Charlotte Bobcats NBA franchise.

• Development of a “Community Medical Home” around the Presbyterian Huntersville Hospital (NHHMC) primary and secondary markets involving pulmonary, orthopedics, neurology, and hematology-oncology.

• Created and currently oversee an Optimization Team for Epic and Team Based Healthcare. This team includes high quality individuals within nursing and IT.  This team is charged with creating a culture of consistent, evidence-based care within Primary Care. They will be instrumental in the transition to Value Based Healthcare.

• Direct interaction and partnership with Hospital Presidents daily. Creating a model to improve collaboration between physicians and administration.

• Member of the Finance and Managed Care Committees within Novant Health Medical Group. Instrumental in contract negotiations both within a private group and within a large medical group.

• Developed a physician leadership and mentorship model currently used today within Novant. This program is designed to create physician leaders for the future. This model allows for physicians to develop a skill set and leadership style to help integrate large and small medical groups, hospitals, hospital systems, and regional healthcare alliances.

• Associate Professor UNC School of Medicine, Family Medicine Residency Program Preceptor.

• Associate Professor UNC School of Medicine, 6-week Preceptor for third-year medical students.
• Preceptor for the 6-week rotation in the Wingate University Physician’s Assistant Program.

• Past member Blue Cross Blue Shield Outpatient Imaging Advisory Board.

• Past member Northeast Medical Center Primary Care Network Board and Strategic Planning Committee Member.

• Past member Berkeley HeartLab Advisory Board – 2007.

• Past board member of the Cardiovascular Institute. The Institute leads the development of new and innovative delivery models within the cardiovascular service line. The institute also has an essential function to integrate cardiologists, radiologists, cardiovascular surgeons, and primary care physicians in a unique patient care model.

Deepak A. Kapoor, MD

Dr. Deepak A. Kapoor is Chairman and Chief Ecosystem Officer of Solaris Health Holdings LLC and New York Market President for Integrated Medical Professionals, PLLC (IMP). He is certified by the American Board of Urology with extensive experience in oncologic and reconstructive surgery along with additional expertise in basic science research in molecular biology.

Dr. Kapoor is Clinical Professor of Urology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Chairman of SCRUBS RRG, Past Chair of the LUGPA Health Policy Committee, and Past President of LUGPA. He has also served as a Director of UroPAC and Chairman of Access to Integrated Cancer Care. Dr. Kapoor was founder of the New York Urology Trade Association and Integrated Medical Foundation. In addition, he is a Fellow of the American College of Physician Executives.

Dr. Kapoor has published and lectured extensively on clinical, business and health policy issues and is Associate Editor of the journal Urology Practice. He serves on several medical advisory boards, including the New York State Governor´s Prostate Cancer Advisory Panel. Dr. Kapoor has received numerous accolades, including the 2011 AUA Ambrose-Reed socioeconomic essay award, the 2014 New York Section AUA Russell W.  Lavengood distinguished service award and was recognized in 2018 by LUGPA for outstanding contributions to health policy.  In 2023, Dr. Kapoor received a Lifetime Contribution Award from LUGPA for his efforts towards the preservation of independent medicine.

Dr. Scott Wise, a U.S. Army veteran, is President and Chief Executive Officer for Valor Healthcare, Inc. A graduate of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School at Dallas, he also holds an MBA with a Focus in Healthcare Administration from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst.

After leaving the Army in 1998, Dr. Wise was in private medical practice for 10 years before joining Valor in 2007. He has held successive roles at Valor beginning as a Clinic Medical Director before being named the company’s Chief Medical Officer/Chief of Staff, Chief Operating Officer, and now President/CEO since 2014.

Managing Director in William Blair’s Healthcare group in Chicago. Focus on innovation in healthcare delivery, which means companies improving access, outcomes, incentives, and costs, with winners across all populations of patients, providers, payers, and regulators.Received full-time MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business in 2013. Prior education includes The Berklee College of Music (Performance, Jazz Guitar) and Duke University (B.S. Chemistry, Minor in Music). Music website: ednakayama.com.

Prior experience includes MyBuys Inc. (Ann Arbor, MI), Holcim (US) Inc. (Waltham, MA), and professional jazz guitar.

G. Scott Herman

CEO, New Day Healthcare

Scott began his healthcare career in 1984 as a paramedic and first responder, 10 years before entering the home care field. Now approaching 30 years in home care, he has led some of the nation’s largest and most innovative companies, having held nearly every operating and administrative position in a home-based structure. Scott founded New Day Healthcare in July 2020, with a small group of home care professionals. The company adopted the tag line “Burn the Ships,” to rethink home care delivery, in light of the changing environment. Starting from scratch, in the middle of a global pandemic, New Day has grown tremendously and now touches near 120,000 patients annually, with over 7,800 team members in 30 locations. New Day serves multiple home-based business lines including Home Health, Hospice, Community Care, Pediatrics and Private Pay. New Day is setting the standard for continuum-based care with People, Process and Technology and is recognized as one of the most innovative companies in the home care delivery space. 

Scott has held executive leadership positions at Elara Caring, National Home Health Care, Jordan Health Services, Accellion Health, ​Harden Health Care Home Health/Hospice, North Mississippi Home Care and Via Christi Home Care. Scott holds a BSN from Kansas Newman and an EMICT from the University of Kansas. He served as a flight Nurse/Paramedic, Emergency Room and ICU Nurse, as well as a Home Health and Hospice clinician​.

Geoff Wayne is a seasoned executive with extensive leadership experience in healthcare organizations. He currently serves as the CEO of Jefferson Dental & Orthodontics. Geoff also holds the position of Executive Chairman at Advantage Surgical and Wound Care, where he has been instrumental in guiding the company since 2022.

In addition to his executive roles, Geoff has served as a board member for various private equity-backed businesses, including Encore Infusion, and remains an active member of YPO Dallas. With a track record of driving growth and operational excellence, Geoff is a trusted leader in the healthcare and private equity sectors.

Ira Kornbluth, MD, MA, FAAPMR is the President of Clearway Pain Solutions. He attended Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. After his chief residency at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, he completed a fellowship in pain management at the Washington Hospital Center. He is Board Certified in pain management and physical medicine and rehabilitation (PMR).

Dr. Kornbluth began at a large private practice in Maryland and left soon after becoming a partner to start SMART Pain Management in 2008. SMART grew into a sizeable practice with several physicians and sites. SMART Pain Management and Kure Pain Management merged in 2017 with the backing of New Harbor Capital to form KureSMART Pain Management. KureSMART developed one of the largest pain platforms and became Clearway Pain Solutions after transacting with NexPhase Capital in 2019. Clearway is now the largest pain management platform in the country. Clearway operates in several states and maintains a very solid reputation.

Dr. Kornbluth oversees several aspects of the practice including compliance, ancillary programs, provider recruitment, site development and he is deeply involved in provider management and M&A discussion. He keeps up to date on the latest developments in pain management by serving as a reviewer for multiple pain management journals. He served on the Board of Physicians in Maryland for several years. Dr. Kornbluth enjoys growth as a physician executive and is a life-long learner. Most of all, he treasures the time he spends with his wife and four amazing children.

Dr. James Gohar is on a mission to transform women’s healthcare into what it should be—personal, empowering, and all-encompassing. At Viva Eve, he has created a warm, welcoming space that offers integrated specialty care, including comprehensive Ob/Gyn services, fibroid care, minimally invasive gynecologic surgery, nutrition, vein procedures, and cosmetic dermatology—all under one roof.

With over 20 years of experience and his visionary entrepreneurial drive, Dr. Gohar has built a practice rooted in innovation and compassion. Patients love his warmth, attention to detail, and genuine ability to listen, ensuring every woman feels heard and cared for. Whether guiding patients on their health journey or helping them feel confident in their own skin, Dr. Gohar’s dedication is evident in everything he does. He is proud to be included in the2024-2025 SCALE Community – Most Influential Healthcare Leaders list.

Jasen Gundersen MD, MBA is the CEO and Co-Founder of CardioOne, a practice management solution focused on supporting independent cardiologists to alleviate the administrative burden of running a practice and evolve on their journey to participating in value based care programs. Jasen has over 25 years of healthcare experience as a leader, operator and practicing physician. His previous roles include President, Hospitalist and Post Acute Care services at TeamHealth, Chief Performance Officer at Navvis Healthcare and Chief Medical Officer at CareCentrix, where he has been an expert on physician practice management and management of large and complex patient populations in a variety of value based care programs. He began his career in academic medicine attaining the role of clinical associate professor at the UMass Chan School of Medicine and served in a number of leadership roles within the UMass Memorial Healthcare System. Jasen is passionate about helping fellow physicians to excel in their practice and focus on taking the best possible care of patients. He has been a trusted advisor and leader to physicians to help them manage the intricacies of their practice that respects their clinical independence and expertise as physicians. The path to value is based on truly exceptional practice operations and there are endless opportunities for physicians in the future.

Jason carries nearly 30 years of experience in the Healthcare Industry. Most recently, he served as President and COO of Sound Physicians, a hospital-based physician practice with 350 programs and 4,500 clinicians across 42 states. Jason has deep experience developing leaders and enhancing systems and processes that make it easier for caregivers to reach and care for patients. Having begun his career as a Physical Therapist, Jason remains focused on the simple mission of delivering high quality care to patients who are often at their most vulnerable state.

20-year+ Entrepreneur CEO, >$100M+ raised, >10x returns Co-founded Well Street Urgent Care

Jason Tuschman is the CEO and Founder of Red Spot Interactive (RSI), the nation’s leading patient relationship management software platform. Since 2008, RSI has improved medical practices’ ability to scale patient acquisition through advanced cross-department ROI analytics and software automation. Over $2B in patient billing occurs annually through RSI across 3mm+ created appointments.

RSI integrates data from practice management systems, phone systems, referring providers, and marketing sources into a single source of truth for ROI measurement and performance optimization. This objective ROI data is applied across an industry-leading CRM and Patient Journey Automation platform that synchs with its clients ’ PMs, simplifying practices’ ability to scale while continuously improving the patient experience. 

Jason started his career in software development in 1997 with Auto-By-Tel building products that supported the online acquisition of auto financing and insurance products.  From there, Jason managed Fortune 500 digital marketing initiatives that were direct-to-consumer focused across websites, paid media, call centers, and traditional media.

Jason married his college sweetheart, and they have four children residing in Jupiter, Florida. Suppose Jason is not with his family or working. In that case, he takes any available time to exercise, completing an Ironman, a blackbelt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and a blackbelt in American Kempo Karate.

Jerry J. Sokol concentrates his national practice on the business aspects of healthcare law with an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, private equity and various contractual arrangements in the healthcare industry. Jerry is the global head of McDermott’s Healthcare Practice Group.

Jerry has a robust healthcare private equity practice with a focus on leveraged buyout transactions. Jerry and his team are uniquely qualified to perform the acquisition and finance components of these transactions, as well as the healthcare-specific due diligence and regulatory aspects of deals. This unique combination of first-rate healthcare regulatory expertise and top-tier private equity corporate practice expertise provides private equity fund clients, as well as clients who are selling to private equity, a distinct advantage in the transaction process, as opposed to the large number of transactions in which these two critical legal components are bifurcated between firms.

Joshua Kaye concentrates his national practice in representing private equity sponsors, physicians and healthcare entrepreneurs, and hospitals and large strategic healthcare companies achieve scale, growth and liquidity through the implementation of an effective mergers and acquisition strategy, development of creative joint ventures, and facilitating innovative healthcare delivery models. Ranked by Chambers USA as a Band 1 Healthcare attorney and recognized as a Board Certified Health Law Attorney by the Florida Bar, Josh has helped lead the global law firm of DLA Piper’s Healthcare Sector to become one of the most trusted and well recognized legal service firms showcasing his passion and skill for negotiating transactions in the highly regulated and complex healthcare industry.

Kshitij Mohta leads Egon Zehnder’s work at the intersection of Health and Private Equity in the US. He collaborates with a diverse range of firms, from growth equity to large buyout entities, encompassing various investment sizes and strategies. He serves both sponsors and portfolio companies, addressing a spectrum of roles from Board and C-Level to VP positions, as well as tackling organizational challenges. His passion lies in guiding companies and exceptional leaders through their most challenging and vulnerable decisions, ensuring they receive the support necessary to make a significant impact on healthcare. Kshitij is deeply immersed in the healthcare ecosystem and its intersections across stakeholders and related sectors, engaging with both industry disruptors and the entities they aim to challenge.

Egon Zehnder is the world’s preeminent leadership advisory firm, inspiring leaders to navigate complex questions with human answers. The firm’s 600+ consultants across 66 offices and 36 countries are former industry and functional leaders who collaborate seamlessly to deliver the full power of the Firm to every client.

Prior to joining Egon Zehnder, Kshitij was with McKinsey & Company in New Jersey and Mumbai as an Associate Partner focusing on healthcare and private equity and helping clients with growth strategy, strategic transformations and turnarounds, and M&A. Earlier he worked at NBC Universal and its service provider, Genpact, in Bangalore and New York. Before moving to the United States, Kshitij lived and worked in India, Thailand, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Alongside his consulting work, Kshitij supports nonprofit organizations in India and serves on the advisory board of NJ LEEP, a college access and success program serving students and families in the greater Newark area.

Lew Little joined Giving Home Health Care in August 2022 as President and CEO. Giving Home is a health care coordinator and chronic care manager dedicated to advocating for and serving individuals with conditions contracted while working in nuclear energy programs for the Department of Energy.   Through the EEOICPA and RECA programs, Giving Home coordinates care in eight states. 

Before joining Giving Home, Little had been involved in the healthcare industry for over 20 years.  During that time, he served as CEO and Co-Founder of Harden Healthcare.  Harden initially operated as a long-term care company and later expanded into a post-acute company by incorporating home care services including Medicaid Home Health, Medicare Home Health and Hospice.  At the time of the sale of the home care business to Gentiva in 2013, the company’s revenue had grown to $800 million with 230 locations in fifteen states.  After Harden, Little was CEO of Covenant Surgical Partners for over four years as the company experienced rapid growth.  He also served as the Executive Chair of a healthcare SPAC that raised $220 million but was unable to find a suitable target and returned the capital to shareholders.  Finally, Little has served on several healthcare service companies and numerous not for profit Boards.

Little began his career in commercial banking and spent 18 years in that industry.  A native of Austin, he resides there with his wife of over 40 years, three married children, and six grandchildren.

Mr. Strauss joined Crestline in 2019 and co-leads the healthcare investing platform across the Opportunistic and Direct Lending strategies.  Additionally, he serves as head of originations for these platforms.   Crestline’s lending and investing activities in the healthcare space focus on (i) healthcare services (often multi-site businesses), (ii) HCIT, (iii) pharma services, (iv) Payor and Provider Tech and Outsourced Services, and (v) Employer-Sponsored healthcare services.   In addition to his investing experience, Mr. Strauss provided debt advisory and capital raising services while working at Jefferies Financial Group and Rothschild & Co. Mr. Strauss has a BA from the University of Rochester, a JD from the University of Virginia, and a MBA from Columbia Business School.  Mr. Strauss currently serves on the Board of Directors of Genuine Health Group and Upperline Health.

Dr. Marlow Hernandez, is the Chief Executive Officer of Soran Health, a value-based specialty medical company he co-founded. Previously, Dr. Hernandez founded and served as Chief Executive Officer of Cano Health, a company he grew from scratch to 170 medical centers and nearly 400,000 lives by the time he left in June 2023. A native of Cuba, Dr. Hernandez immigrated to the U.S. with his family in 1993. Driven by a life-long calling for Medicine, he completed his Bachelor’s in Neuroscience from the University of Miami and his medical degree from Nova Southeastern University. Dr. Hernandez specializes in Internal Medicine, training at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Along the way, he also earned an MBA and a Master’s degree in Public Health, multiple faculty appointments, three Board certifications, and a fellowship from the American College of Physicians. Dr. Hernandez has been recognized for his healthcare contributions with a United States Capitol flag, a proclamation by the State of Nevada, and a lifetime achievement award by the South Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Michele Masucci is a partner in Nixon Peabody’s Healthcare group. She represents healthcare companies and middle-market private equity firms in connection with their transactions and regulatory needs. Michele has a particular focus in dermatology, dental, ophthalmology, physical therapy, dialysis, pharmacy, and digital health. She represents companies throughout their life cycle from startups to fully mature companies. She also served as chair of the firm’s Healthcare Group from 2010 to 2016.