Who’s Who in the Ambulatory Surgery Industry — The People

For six consecutive years, today’s surgicenter has brought together the best and the brightest people and facilities in the ambulatory surgery center industry as part of our annual Who’s Who in the Ambulatory Surgery Industry. And this year is no exception. These 18 individuals and five top-notch facilities were selected from nominations by you, the readers, as outstanding examples to not only the ASC and healthcare industries, but to their communities as well. So we at today’s surgicenter join in applauding the efforts of each these award winners in making the ASC industry beacons of prosperity in difficult times.

Toni Angle

Toni M. Angle, MBA, is the vice president of facility development for Titan Health Corp. Inc., a national surgery center development, acquisition and management company.

Angle began her surgery center experience in 1989, when she served as the administrator for a start up ambulatory surgery center. “Surgery centers were relatively new at this time and it was a challenge to get the regulators and payors to understand the model, but we prevailed.” As a result of the need for networking and political action, Angle was instrumental in the development of the California Ambulatory Surgery Center Association, and is a current member.

Angle then moved into the ASC management consulting and development area of the business. From this experience, Angle co-founded an ASC and surgical hospital management and development company. This company merged with a national ASC management and development company where Angle served as the senior vice president of facility development and operations. At this stage, Angle had developed 30 ambulatory surgery centers and two surgical hospitals. Angle assisted in the development of the American Surgical Hospital Association, now the Physician Hospitals of America.

“I have a passion for the ambulatory surgery center business; I enjoy the dynamic and entrepreneurial nature of the industry,” says Angle. “Further, I have experienced the business from the point of view of an administrator, developer and patient; the excellence of the environment and care is superb.”

Mark Brown

Mark Brown, MD, is passionate about helping people with low back pain control their symptoms and maintaining productive lives. Effectively addressing and treating low back pain can have a profound impact on a person’s quality of life. That is why he opened Innovative Back Care Center, LP, a single specialty ambulatory surgery center designed to treat low back pain utilizing interventional techniques.

As a board-certified anesthesiologist and pain medicine physician, Brown wanted a setting that exceeded patient safety standards. As medical director, Brown personally oversees all quality activities. He is a strong supporter and champion for ASCs because he believes “they provide a valuable service to the community.” Despite Medicare cuts, Brown continued to pursuit his dream of creating a safe and comfortable environment to treat pain.

Jim Corum

Jim Corum serves as vice president of operations for HealthMark Partners, where he has operational accountability for several surgery centers. His passion for the ASC industry includes helping his physician partners through successful business and ownership restructuring.

Over two years, Corum has quickly become one of the rising stars in the business, not only proving himself to be a savvy operator, but also in restructuring centers for continued success beyond the first life cycle of a center. Corum is consistently well respected by his physician partners who learn quickly his ability to identify and address critical issues to the centers success. Physicians often comment that it is nice to work with someone who they know early has their best interests at heart.

Prior to HealthMark, Corum led the in-market development efforts for Surgis Inc., a Nashville-based management company, which merged with United Surgical Partners (USPI) in April 2006. Throughout his tenure in outpatient surgery, Corum has worked with numerous physician groups on syndications including both de novo and turn-around projects.

Corum has participated in many outpatient surgery center conferences, serving as a panelist at the today’s SurgiCenter conference and as a speaker at the ASC Communications conference.

Suszon Daniel

Suszon Daniel, RN, is currently a part of Olympus America Inc. as an EndoSite nurse consultant.

Her work includes delivering a high-quality strategic planning and project facilitation service to remodel or develop new office-based endoscopy (OBE) or ambulatory surgery centers (ASC); managing 10 ongoing OBEs or ASCs within the first year of employment and selling product offerings to customers. She is also involved in redevelopment of policies and procedures for OBE and ASC and developed the “Do It Yourself” program for customers in New York requiring accreditation.

“Suszon is a very knowledgeable, pragmatic and organized nurse consultant. She always delivers her projects on time,” says Joanne Muturi, an EndoSite advisor in the ASC industry. “Her customers love her and her colleagues value her input. She is a team player and is always willing to go the extra mile for her customers and colleagues. Even her former employer wanted her back for a very long time. She deserves to be recognized.”

“I enjoy working with physicians in building their OBEs or ASCs,” says Daniel. “It is truly a constant work in progress from the ground up.”

Boyd Faust

Boyd Faust, CPA, has been working in the surgery center industry since 1986. He was chief operating officer for National Surgical Care and served in various roles at Medical Care International, then the largest operator of outpatient surgery centers in the United States.

He has held leadership positions in the broader healthcare services business as chief operating officer for Alliance Care, senior vice president of a multi-hospital healthcare system in the Carolinas and senior manager of Ernst & Young’s Southern Region Healthcare Finance Group. He currently serves at the chief financial officer for Titan Health Corp. Inc., a national ASC developer and operator. Faust has also authored articles in national trade publications and spoken at national meetings and conferences.

“Boyd has the ability to see the industry from a wide ranging perspective but also understand, at a detailed level, how the industry works,” says D.J. Hill, chief development officer of Titan. “He is one of the hardest working members of the ASC community and can always be counted on to roll up his sleeves and contribute.”

Gregory George

Gregory George MD, PhD, founding principal of SurgCenter Development, partners with local surgeons to create physician-owned and operated ASCs.

George graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, received his medical degree from Duke University, and earned a PhD from Duke in the field of ocular physiology. As an ophthalmologist with a very busy practice and high surgical volume, George recognized the necessity for surgeons to have more control over their daily schedule, surgical time, operating room protocols and surgical staffing.

Under his leadership, SurgCenter Development has developed over 60 successful, profitable, physician-owned ASCs. Nearly 100 percent physician, patient, and staff satisfaction levels combined with state-of-the-art highly profitable facilities, establish George and SurgCenter Development as clear leaders in the industry.

Julie Greene

Julie Greene, MBA, is the executive director of the Grand Valley Surgical Center and Grand Valley Health Management in Grand Rapids, Mich. In her diverse roles, Greene oversees operations of one of the largest ambulatory surgery centers in western Michigan, and also consults with other centers and physician groups who are either exploring the development of a surgery center or require assistance in operations, regulatory compliance and business planning.

Greene is committed to creating a greater awareness of the benefits and contributions that surgery centers make to their community. “The ambulatory surgery center industry saves money for everyone, especially our patients,” Greene says. “I am grateful to be part of a solution that is focused on positive outcomes, demonstrating value and driving down healthcare costs.”

In addition to her daily responsibilities, Greene is an outspoken legislative advocate of surgical centers at both the federal and state level. As past president of the Michigan Ambulatory Surgery Association, she is very active in increasing cooperation between surgery centers for the good of the industry. Greene would like to impact the area of purchasing in Michigan by creating an alliance that allows ASCs to purchase at pricing currently available for large facilities only.

Going to work at Grand Valley Surgical Center is personally very rewarding. “I have the absolute privilege of working with outstanding staff, investors and a board who truly believe in providing the best surgical experience possible for our patients, physicians and family members. We are making a real difference in people’s lives. The fact we can provide the same high quality service for a lower cost gives me an incredible amount of satisfaction. Everyone wins.”

Kenneth Hancock

Kenneth Hancock has over 20 years of healthcare-related experience. He currently serves as a founding partner and president and chief development officer for Meridian Surgical Partners, an ASC management company in Brentwood, Tenn.

“Working closely with Kenny for the past several years, I can say that he is one of most genuine and passionate people I know,” says Catherine Kowalski, RN, executive vice president and chief operating officer from Meridian Surgical Partners. “From a professional perspective, he sets the bar high for building and nurturing relationships. His enthusiasm and dedication in developing fruitful partnerships is the secret to his success and the success of the companies for which he has played a key role.”

Prior to this role, Hancock co-founded and served on the senior management teams of two other healthcare companies. In 2003, Surgical Alliance developed New Albany Surgical Hospital, an orthopedic facility with of 35 physician partners, 41 inpatient beds and eight operating rooms. In 1995, he co-founded OrthoLink, an orthopedic surgery center development company that was later acquired by USPI. Hancock began his healthcare career by spending more than 11 years in various capacities with the DePuy Corp.

Hancock enjoys sharing his knowledge by presenting at various industry events as well as contributing to ASC and other healthcare publications. “Being in partnership development most of my career, it’s easy to look back and see a common theme – trust,” says Hancock. “Without that, no partnership will thrive. In the ASC industry, management companies have to connect with physicians in a way that ensures them you understand their unique challenges, and have the resources and expertise to help them achieve their goals. ASC-corporate partnerships can and should be a win-win scenario.”

Jerry Hill

Jerry “Les” Hill is currently a senior operations director for Robert C. Williams & Associates Inc., a full-service development and management company for ambulatory surgery centers. With expertise in taking a project from initial discussion through syndication and development, construction, equipment planning, and surveying and licensure to day-to-day management.

William Massingill, chief executive officer of Polkinghorn Group Architects Inc., says, “Having managed surgery center practices in Texas and having participated in the development of surgery center facilities throughout the state, Les utilizes his low-key personality to befriend the clients (physicians or others) with whom he works, then utilizes his outpatient surgery expertise in navigating his client through the project development phase of a given project. In my opinion, he’s an integral part of a project that often doesn’t get appreciated.”

In managing the owner-side project management task for two recently completed surgery center projects in Stephenville and Abilene, Texas, Hill effectively guided the physicians, nursing staff, equipment planners and design team participants through each planning, design, bidding and construction stage of each project.

Hill has served as a past president of the Texas Medical Group Management Association, and as vice president of the Texas Association of Surgical Centers.

Charles Hughes

Charles “Chuck” Hughes, general manager and lead educator for SPSmedical Supply Corp., has worked over 25 years in the healthcare industry in areas of R&D, regulatory affairs, manufacturing, microbiology, sterilization training and consulting. He is involved with many healthcare organizations, including the ASC Association, the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), the International Association of Healthcare Central Service Material Management, the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses and more.

As the lead educator of SPSmedical, Hughes, travels internationally to provide sterilization and infection control training/presentations on industry best practices to surgery centers, hospitals, medical device manufacturers, and surgical service organizations. In addition, Hughes sits on numerous AAMI standards committees where he contributes to writing recommended practices for sterilization.

“His passion for infection prevention is unmatched,” says Matt Beauchaine, sales and marketing coordinator at SPSmedical. “He has devoted much of his personal time and his career to the continuing education and advancement of operating room, infection control, sterile processing and surgical service personnel.”

Marion Jenkins

Marion K. Jenkins, PhD, is founder and CEO of QSE Technologies, based in Englewood, Colo. QSE is a national vendor for IT systems design and implementation for ASCs and medical office buildings. From their first surgery ASC project over four years ago, today they have completed over 50 ASC/MOB design and implementation projects in 26 states.

QSE is an “I.T. General Contractor,” and likes to get involved early on in the ASC design process. “We like to work where we can make changes to the IT system with a pencil and eraser (or AutoCAD drawing), instead of a drywall saw and a jack hammer,” says Jenkins. “That makes a huge difference.”

Jenkins and QSE have become avid supporters of the ASC industry, participating in – and usually a major sponsor of – numerous state and national ASC conferences, and he is a prolific speaker and contributor to many healthcare journals and publications.

Jenkins is also heavily involved in Project CURE, the largest national organization that collects usable medical supplies and equipment and distributes them throughout the underdeveloped world to needy hospitals and clinics. QSE was responsible for introducing Project CURE and, the Colorado ASC Association, and CASCA routinely assists Project CURE with sorting of medical equipment and supplies and doing medical site assessments.

“We are pleased to be involved with the ASC industry,” he says. “ASCs provide a higher quality product at a more competitive price in the marketplace. Our role is to make our ASC clients’ IT systems comparable to the best hospitals and other facilities.”

Charles Neal

Charles T. Neal, CPA, chief operating officer of Healthmark Partners, served as president of Alliance Surgery Inc. prior to its merger with HealthMark Partners. Neal was formerly with Symbion Healthcare Inc., where he served as president of the Multi-Specialty Group that managed 47 ASCs in 17 states.

Prior to joining Symbion, Neal was the co-founder and chief operating officer of Ambulatory Resource Centers Inc., which merged with Uniphy Healthcare Inc. in 1999 to become Symbion Healthcare Inc. Neal was a senior vice president in the Surgery Center Division of HealthSouth Corp. and a senior vice president for Surgical Care Affiliates Inc. (SCA).  He also served as the chief executive officer of various hospitals in Georgia and Florida for Hospital Corp. of America (HCA).

“Charlie grew Alliance Surgery Inc. as president and guided the company through merger with HealthMark Partners with strong positive direction and continues to provide expert strategic direction and daily operational oversight to our company,” says David Gross, administrator with HealthMark Partners.

Sean O’Neal

Sean O’Neal is a founding principal of SurgCenter Development, and has over 25 years of experience in health care management. As a hospital CEO for over 20 years, O’Neal was a true pioneer in bridging the gap between physicians and hospital administration by developing numerous physician joint ventures.

O’Neal completed postgraduate studies in health services administration at California State University, Northridge, and has served as a member of the board of directors of the California Association of Hospitals and Health Systems.

One of O’Neal’s physician joint ventures was an ASC he developed with ophthalmologist Gregory George, MD, PhD. The two went on to form SurgCenter Development and to date have developed over 60 successful, profitable, physician-owned ASCs. Under O’Neal’s leadership, SurgCenter Development enjoys nearly 100 percent physician and patient satisfaction and is positioned as a true leader in the ASC industry.

Lucie Owens

Lucie Owens, BSN, MPH, is an invaluable asset to the ASC industry. Since 2002, Owens has headed up Nueterra Healthcare’s development division and is responsible for overseeing the development and start-up for its ambulatory surgery centers, surgical hospitals and community hospitals. “Owens efforts towards her work come from a sense of vocation rather than just an occupation,” says John Schario, president of Nueterra Healthcare. “Her leadership style is inclusive and builds on her teams individual’s strengths which has led to the success of her division.”

Owens has over 20 years of ambulatory surgery experience which includes hands-on experience in ASC acquisition, administration, knowledge and expertise in facility design and operational start-up for both hospital-based and freestanding ASC projects. Prior to joining Nueterra, Owens was the co-founder and principal for two ASC development and management companies; Aspen Healthcare in Boulder, Colo., and Sereno Medical Company, in Los Gatos, Calif., serving as the chief operating officer. She has served as the executive director for five ambulatory surgery facilities and was responsible for overseeing their start-up, accreditation and licensing as well as their day-to-day operations.

Owens is currently serving on the Foundation Board for Association of PeriOperative Registered Nurses and has been a past board member for the California Ambulatory Association.

“Having an insider’s perspective as a nurse and a leader has been a great benefit when working with various physician boards,” says Owens. “A level of trust and security is developed when you are recognized as someone with hands-on knowledge.” Owens has presented at various industry wide conference including the American Society of Outpatient Surgeons, ASC Association, Medical Group Management Association and California Association of Ambulatory Surgery.

Mike Rickman

Mike Rickman is the chief operating officer of Practice Partners in Healthcare Inc. and one of the founders of the corporation. Rickman has 12 years of healthcare managerial experience and has assumed a wide range of responsibilities and experience over his tenure.

Prior to joining Practice Partners in Healthcare, Rickman was senior vice president for the surgery division of HealthSouth Corp. Larry Taylor, president and CEO of Practice Partners states, “Mike has an incredible knowledge of the surgical industry and has utilized his financial background to intertwine the operational aspects of the industry to create a fresh new observation and managerial aspect to ASCs.” Mike has developed proprietary financial models and pro forma data unique to the industry and has deployed them in all of Practice Partners start-up facilities.

Mike has made significant contributions to the management of ASCs,” says Taylor. “He takes the financial aspects necessary for the success of the center and translates them into real world situations for both clinical and non-clinical center personnel. Mike had managed both large and small companies and understands what translates into success.

Donna SanGiovanni

Donna SanGiovanni, CPC, CHI, oversees the coding for both office and surgical procedures at Yale University in New Haven, Conn. SanGiovanni has worked in the ASC industry for more than nine years, working at Hamden Surgery Center in Hamden, Conn. before accepting a management position at Yale University. She is also the founder and president of the Hamden, Conn., chapter of the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC), the nation’s largest education and credentialing association for medical coders.

“Donna is an exemplary member of AAPC and representative of the ASC industry,” notes Sheri Poe Bernard, vice president of clinical coding content for the American Academy of Professional Coders. “She is dedicated to continuing education and training others on the constantly changes codes and billing procedures in this specialty. She is very passionate about her work, and is an expert in her field.”

Louis Sheffler

Louis Sheffler started his career managing a 16-operating room suite in a 600-bed hospital in northern New Jersey during the 1970s. Currently, he oversees all clinical and qualitative operations for American SurgiSite Centers Inc., a chain of ophthalmic ambulatory surgery centers located predominantly in the Northeast U.S.

Besides maintaining above average industry standards for important metrics such as surgeon satisfaction, OR utilization, lower than industry standard infection rates, and higher than average throughput surgery rates. He has overseen standardization of central purchasing, central medical records and centralized, real-time, barcode inventory control.

This year, he coordinated a “Just in Time” bar coding system for ASC inventory that is interconnected to an ASC’s accounting system and automatically creates reorder reports. Sheffler also devised a Web-based EMR system for ASCs that utilizes touch-screen technology with customized individual menus for surgeons and anesthesiologists.

“Based on Sheffler’s medical-legal talents and based on the quality of his communicational skills pertaining to potential malpractice claims, we feel that the company has been protected from all claims arising out of hundreds of thousands of surgical procedures during our 20-year history. Simply stated, the ASC industry would not be where we are today without him,” says Glenn deBrueys, CEO of American SurgiSite Centers Inc.

Ronald Sollitto

Ronald J. Sollitto, MD, DPM, is the administrator and CEO of Saddle Brook Surgicenter Inc. in Saddle Brook, N.J. Established in 1993, it is a fully licensed, multi-specialty facility. It has built an outstanding reputation by adhering to what he refers to as his facility’s creed: “Quality, Experience, Compassion.”

A graduate of the University of Notre Dame, Sollitto has doctorate degrees in podiatric medicine and medicine. He is currently matriculating at Columbia University for a Master of Public Health in health care administration. As a member of both the national and New Jersey state ambulatory surgery associations, Sollitto has been a vocal advocate of the valuable role played by ambulatory surgery centers in healthcare delivery.

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