Here are nine leaders to know in the ambulatory surgery center industry.
To recommend an ASC leader for future lists, contact Carrie Pallardy at cpallardy@beckershealthcare.com.
Ann Geier, MS, RN, CNOR, CASC, a veteran of the ASC industry, recently became vice president-clinical informatics with the surgery division of SourceMedical Solutions. In this role, she provides SourceMedical with product development insight. Ms. Geier has more than 30 years of experience in the ASC industry. She has served as an independent healthcare consultant and senior vice president of operations at Ambulatory Surgery Centers of America. Ms. Geier has been a member of the ASC Quality Collaborations Expert Group since 2006. Her expertise includes supply chain management, case costing, peer review, surgery center staffing, credentialing, financial operations and clinical operations. Ms. Geier earned her bachelor's degree and MS degree in health services administration from University of St. Francis in Joliet, Ill.
Laurie Hendrix, BSN, RN, CASC, is chief operating officer of Ambulatory Surgical Centers of America. Prior to her current role, she served as senior vice president of operations with ASCOA. During the course of her career, Ms. Hendrix has served as an ASC administrator, clinical nurse and OR manager. From 2000 to 2004, she was the administrator of an ASCOA-owned center in Georgia. Ms. Hendrix earned her BSN from Columbia State University.
Christine Henry Musa is the director business development at Regent Surgical Health. In her role, Ms. Musa is responsible for performing due diligence on Regent's business opportunities. She also leads strategic initiatives for the company's centers. Ms. Musa's previous experience includes serving as a senior consultant with Navigant and leadership roles with Novartis. She earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Princeton (N.J.) University and completed her MBA at Harvard Business School in Boston.
Sandra Jones, MBA, MS, CASC, FHMA, is the executive vice president and COO of ASD Management. Before joining ASD Management, Ms. Jones was the president of Ambulatory Strategies and a managed care coordinator, risk manager and administrator for Premier Ambulatory Systems. Over the course of her career, she has also served as CEO and COO of for-profit hospitals. Ms. Jones is a fellow of the Healthcare Financial Management Association and diplomat of the American Board of Utilization Review and Quality Assurance Physicians. Ms. Jones earned her graduate degrees from the University of Central Florida in Orlando and Rollins College in Winter Park, Fla. She has been a member of many national and state healthcare boards.
Susan Kizirian is the chief operating officer at Physician Partners of America. She has more than 32 years of experience in healthcare, including 24 years of experience in ASC management and development. Prior to joining Physician Partners of America, Ms. Kizirian was the principle of Kizirian Health Care Consulting. She has also held several leadership roles at ASCOA, including vice president of operations, senior vice president of operations and COO. She has served on the board of the American Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers, prior to its merger with ASCA. Ms. Kizirian is a founding member and Life Time President Emeritus of the Florida Society of Ambulatory Surgical Centers. She earned her bachelor's degree from Florida State University in Tallahassee and completed her MBA at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Catherine W. Kowalski, RN, is executive vice president and COO of Meridian Surgical Partners. Ms. Kowalski has more than 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry. She is the former executive vice president of operations and co-founder of Surgical Alliance Corporation, a specialty surgical hospital company founded in 2001. Prior to Surgical Alliance, Ms. Kowalski served as co-founder and vice president, operations and hospital/ancillary services of OrthoExcel, Inc., a hospital management company focused on contractual management of orthopedic hospital business lines. From 1993 until 1997, Cathy served as vice president, operations of MedCenter Management Services, Inc., a healthcare management organization specializing in the development and management of Orthopedic Centers of Excellence.
Lisa Rock is the president of National Medical Billing Services, one of the largest ASC billing companies in the country. She has held that position for the past 10 years. Ms. Rock is a seasoned healthcare management veteran with more than 25 years of experience in the industry. Her wide-ranging background consists of positions such as director of training and education for the largest regional payer in the Mid-Atlantic area for seven years and vice president of business office operations for an ASC development and management company for two years. She has also managed private practices in the specialties of orthopedics, retina surgery, cardiology and anesthesia.
Karen Sablyak, CPA, is the CFO of Physicians Endoscopy. She joined the company in 1999 and has more than 25 years of experience in healthcare finance and operations. Her current responsibilities include overseeing the extensive services PE provides to partnered centers and providing substantial support to the development and sales team funding de novo and acquisition evaluations. Ms. Sablyak also provides the strategic financial vision for PE to continue growing and prospering through healthcare reform implementation, with a focus on delivering superior, value-added services to partnering centers. Prior to joining PE, Ms. Sablyak was vice president of practice management for Allegheny University Hospitals.
Kathleen Whitlow, BS, RNC, CASC, is COO for Blue Chip Surgical Center Partners. She joined the company as partner in 2008 and has more than 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry. She has been an ASC administrator and consultant with expertise in development, marketing, operations and strategic planning to support facilities across the country. Prior to joining Blue Chip, Ms. Whitlow was director of surgical services for a large national hospital system where she developed and directed the outpatient and ambulatory surgery programs, clinics, case management and endoscopy development. Ms. Whitlow has a nursing and business background, combining operational, clinical and financial aspects of the ASC business.
More Articles on Surgery Centers:
ASC Payer Contract Negotiations: Key Concepts for Best Results
ASC Growth & Evolution in the New Healthcare Environment
50 Things to Know About the ASC Industry
To recommend an ASC leader for future lists, contact Carrie Pallardy at cpallardy@beckershealthcare.com.
Ann Geier, MS, RN, CNOR, CASC, a veteran of the ASC industry, recently became vice president-clinical informatics with the surgery division of SourceMedical Solutions. In this role, she provides SourceMedical with product development insight. Ms. Geier has more than 30 years of experience in the ASC industry. She has served as an independent healthcare consultant and senior vice president of operations at Ambulatory Surgery Centers of America. Ms. Geier has been a member of the ASC Quality Collaborations Expert Group since 2006. Her expertise includes supply chain management, case costing, peer review, surgery center staffing, credentialing, financial operations and clinical operations. Ms. Geier earned her bachelor's degree and MS degree in health services administration from University of St. Francis in Joliet, Ill.
Laurie Hendrix, BSN, RN, CASC, is chief operating officer of Ambulatory Surgical Centers of America. Prior to her current role, she served as senior vice president of operations with ASCOA. During the course of her career, Ms. Hendrix has served as an ASC administrator, clinical nurse and OR manager. From 2000 to 2004, she was the administrator of an ASCOA-owned center in Georgia. Ms. Hendrix earned her BSN from Columbia State University.
Christine Henry Musa is the director business development at Regent Surgical Health. In her role, Ms. Musa is responsible for performing due diligence on Regent's business opportunities. She also leads strategic initiatives for the company's centers. Ms. Musa's previous experience includes serving as a senior consultant with Navigant and leadership roles with Novartis. She earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Princeton (N.J.) University and completed her MBA at Harvard Business School in Boston.
Sandra Jones, MBA, MS, CASC, FHMA, is the executive vice president and COO of ASD Management. Before joining ASD Management, Ms. Jones was the president of Ambulatory Strategies and a managed care coordinator, risk manager and administrator for Premier Ambulatory Systems. Over the course of her career, she has also served as CEO and COO of for-profit hospitals. Ms. Jones is a fellow of the Healthcare Financial Management Association and diplomat of the American Board of Utilization Review and Quality Assurance Physicians. Ms. Jones earned her graduate degrees from the University of Central Florida in Orlando and Rollins College in Winter Park, Fla. She has been a member of many national and state healthcare boards.
Susan Kizirian is the chief operating officer at Physician Partners of America. She has more than 32 years of experience in healthcare, including 24 years of experience in ASC management and development. Prior to joining Physician Partners of America, Ms. Kizirian was the principle of Kizirian Health Care Consulting. She has also held several leadership roles at ASCOA, including vice president of operations, senior vice president of operations and COO. She has served on the board of the American Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers, prior to its merger with ASCA. Ms. Kizirian is a founding member and Life Time President Emeritus of the Florida Society of Ambulatory Surgical Centers. She earned her bachelor's degree from Florida State University in Tallahassee and completed her MBA at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Catherine W. Kowalski, RN, is executive vice president and COO of Meridian Surgical Partners. Ms. Kowalski has more than 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry. She is the former executive vice president of operations and co-founder of Surgical Alliance Corporation, a specialty surgical hospital company founded in 2001. Prior to Surgical Alliance, Ms. Kowalski served as co-founder and vice president, operations and hospital/ancillary services of OrthoExcel, Inc., a hospital management company focused on contractual management of orthopedic hospital business lines. From 1993 until 1997, Cathy served as vice president, operations of MedCenter Management Services, Inc., a healthcare management organization specializing in the development and management of Orthopedic Centers of Excellence.
Lisa Rock is the president of National Medical Billing Services, one of the largest ASC billing companies in the country. She has held that position for the past 10 years. Ms. Rock is a seasoned healthcare management veteran with more than 25 years of experience in the industry. Her wide-ranging background consists of positions such as director of training and education for the largest regional payer in the Mid-Atlantic area for seven years and vice president of business office operations for an ASC development and management company for two years. She has also managed private practices in the specialties of orthopedics, retina surgery, cardiology and anesthesia.
Karen Sablyak, CPA, is the CFO of Physicians Endoscopy. She joined the company in 1999 and has more than 25 years of experience in healthcare finance and operations. Her current responsibilities include overseeing the extensive services PE provides to partnered centers and providing substantial support to the development and sales team funding de novo and acquisition evaluations. Ms. Sablyak also provides the strategic financial vision for PE to continue growing and prospering through healthcare reform implementation, with a focus on delivering superior, value-added services to partnering centers. Prior to joining PE, Ms. Sablyak was vice president of practice management for Allegheny University Hospitals.
Kathleen Whitlow, BS, RNC, CASC, is COO for Blue Chip Surgical Center Partners. She joined the company as partner in 2008 and has more than 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry. She has been an ASC administrator and consultant with expertise in development, marketing, operations and strategic planning to support facilities across the country. Prior to joining Blue Chip, Ms. Whitlow was director of surgical services for a large national hospital system where she developed and directed the outpatient and ambulatory surgery programs, clinics, case management and endoscopy development. Ms. Whitlow has a nursing and business background, combining operational, clinical and financial aspects of the ASC business.
More Articles on Surgery Centers:
ASC Payer Contract Negotiations: Key Concepts for Best Results
ASC Growth & Evolution in the New Healthcare Environment
50 Things to Know About the ASC Industry