Physician Leader Profiles

Sridhar Rajamani, MD, MBA
2007 Graduate
Internal Medicine
Physician
Raj Lung Clinic, PLC
North Potomac, MD


Dr. Rajamani attended medical school at the Vinnitsa Medical Institute in Vinnitsa, Ukraine. After some post-graduate work in India, Dr. Rajamani immigrated to the United States. He served as a resident at New York Flushing Hospital Medical Center and was later promoted to chief resident. A member of several professional organizations, Dr. Rajamani is currently employed at Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine in Yuma, Arizona.

Joaquin Cantillo, MD, MBA
2007 Graduate
Anesthesiology
President
Tenton Anesthesiology Association
Richboro, PA


Dr. Cantillo has been practicing anesthesiology for the last eighteen years. He is currently the president of Trenton Anesthesiology Associates, PA, and chairperson of anesthesiology at Capital Health System. Trenton Anesthesiology is the sole provider of anesthesia services at Capital Health System's two campuses in Trenton, New Jersey and the Surgery Center at Hamilton. The Health System will be going through a very rapid expansion in the next five years as it builds a new hospital to increase its market share. New technologies and lines of service are being introduced together with the new facility. In an environment like this, new challenges will be presented to Dr. Cantillo's current anesthesia practice. In order to benefit from this expansion the right business decisions need to be made in his practice. Pursuing the PEMBA program will give Dr. Cantillo the right skills to become a better physician leader, allowing him to make the right business decision for his group and also for the Health System.

David Talbot, MD, MBA
2007 Graduate
Emergency Medicine
Physician
Great Plains Regional Medical Center
Montrose, CO


Dr. Talbot works as an emergency medicine physician in Oklahoma. He attended medical school at the American University of the Caribbean where he graduated in the top of his class. Dr. Talbot completed his residency at Louisiana State University School of Medicine. Dr. Talbot believes obtaining an MBA will help him develop the managerial skills to run a successful business and to positively impact the practice of medicine in America.

Joseph Brown, MD, MBA
2007 Graduate
Anesthesiology
Chairman, Dept of Anesthesiology
Anesthesia and Pain Consultants PC
Johnson City, TN


Dr. Brown practices anesthesiology in Johnson City, Tennessee with Anesthesia and Pain Consultants, PC, and holds an appointment as clinical assistant professor with East Tennessee State University School of Medicine. Board certified in both pediatrics and anesthesiology, he practiced pediatrics for six years prior to his training in anesthesiology. Dr. Brown graduated from the University of Virginia School of Medicine, followed by pediatrics residency at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, and anesthesiology residency at the University of South Carolina. He is chairman of anesthesiology for Washington County Mountain States Health Alliance and has held multiple managerial roles with Anesthesia and Pain Consultants PC. Dr. Brown is active in process improvement and quality initiatives at his institution and anticipates transitioning to a full-time physician leadership position where he can continue these interests.

Virginia Yip, MD, MBA
2007 Graduate
Radiology
Staff Radiologist
Austin Diagnostic Clinic, P.A.
Austin, TX


Dr. Yip graduated from the University of Illinois College of Medicine in 1993. Following her radiology residency and fellowship at the University of Iowa, she has been a practicing radiologist since 1989. She devotes her time and energy to advance her education in new imaging technologies and to practice in the ever-changing field of radiology. Providing high quality of care to patients require the understanding of management and other business skills, including negotiation, human relationships, and financial planning. Her enrollment in Physician Executive MBA program will enhance her understanding of the business side of medicine and help her improve the level of care to her patients.

William Huffner, MD, MBA
2007 Graduate
Emergency Medicine
CMO and Vice President, Medical Affairs
Arnot Ogden Medical Center
Elmira, NY


Dr. Huffner attended medical school at Syracuse Upstate Medical Center where he specialized in emergency medicine. After his residency, Dr. Huffner became involved with the refinement of the regional Emergency Medical Service (EMS) system and participated in local, state, and national EMS organizations. Dr. Huffner's many accomplishments include medical directorship of his emergency department, chairmanship of the state EMS council, and gaining approval for renovation and expansion of his emergency department. In 2005, Dr. Huffner was hired as the chief medical officer and vice president of medical affairs at Arnot Ogden Medical Center. Dr. Huffner believes that education is the key to becoming a successful manager and that his needs can be best met by obtaining an MBA from the PEMBA program.

Armin Klesius, MD, PhD, MBA
2007 Graduate
Thoracic Surgery
Reimbursement Manager

Duisburg-Huckingen,


Dr. Klesius is the head of clinical coordination for a clinical outsourcing company in Germany. He coordinates cardio-clinical care for a 16-hospital system. After finishing medical school and his PhD at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany, he completed a residency in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery. He has worked as a consultant at the Heartcenter Coswig and the Heinrich Heine University in Dusseldorf. Seeing firsthand the immense problems within the German health care system, he realized the importance of gaining a profound understanding of economics and business management. Dr. Klesius enrolled in the Physician Executive MBA so that he will be well-prepared for the future.

Ali Al Sanousi, MD, MBA
2007 Graduate
Medical Informatics
Medical Informative Specialist and Assistant Scientist
King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre
Herndon, VA


Dr. Al Sanousi is a medical informatics specialist and assistant research scientist at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He has more than seven years of work experience in health care informatics. After completing his medical degree from King Saud University he obtained a diploma in international health from the Royal College of Physicians in Dublin, Ireland. His interest in informatics guided him to complete his certificate in medical informatics from Stanford University. Dr. Al Sanousi is a member of the board of trustees and the chairman of the education committee for the Internet Society, Saudi Arabian Chapter. He is also a member of the advisory board and program manager of the National Genetic and Birth Defects Registry. His diverse background and experience encompass biomedicine, information technology, and business administration. As a guest speaker, Dr. Al Sanousi presented papers at a variety of national and professional conferences. He has published articles in different journals and conducted several workshops in research methodology. He has consulted for various companies both nationally and internationally, including MeduNet and Wired.MD. Professionally, he is a member of numerous organizations, including the American College of Physician. Dr. Al Sanousi obtained his master's degree in biomedical informatics at Oregon Health and Science University. His research efforts are focused on clinical informatics and translational research. Dr. Al Sanousi enrolled in the Physician Executive MBA to sharpen his leadership skills and fortify his knowledge in health care economics and corporate finance. He is planning to use the gained knowledge to establish a biomedical informatics entrepreneurial venture.

Adrian Dancea, MD, MBA
2007 Graduate
Cardiology
Director, Pediatric Cardiology Training Program and Assistant Professor, McGill University
Montreal Children's Hospital
Montreal, PQ


Dr. Dancea is a pediatric cardiologist and assistant professor of pediatrics who practices at the Montreal Children's Hospital in Canada. After graduating in 1992 with a medical degree from the University of Ottawa in Canada, he completed a residency in pediatrics at McGill University, Canada. He then pursued training in pediatric cardiology at the same institution followed by a fellowship in percutaneous congenital interventions at the University of California in San Francisco. He currently heads the Heart Catheterization Laboratory at the Montreal Children's Hospital of the McGill University Health Center. Dr Dancea has a strong commitment to academic medicine and has been in charge of the Pediatric Cardiology Training program at the same institution for the last six years. He also pursues various didactic activities at McGill University at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. He believes that the socialized Canadian medical care, despite its virtues, is in dire need of fresh initiatives that will ensure its survival over the next decades. He expects this master's program to help him acquire the specific set of managerial and leadership skills that will help him contribute to rejuvenating health care delivery in his milieu.

Shkelzen Hoxhaj, MD, MBA
2007 Graduate
Emergency Medicine
Director, Emergency Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, TX


Dr. Hoxhaj received his medical degree from New York Medical College. He completed his residency training in both internal medicine and emergency medicine, serving as chief resident and completing a fellowship in Administration at the Medical Center of Delaware (Christiana Care Health System). Dr. Hoxhaj is board-certified in internal medicine and emergency medicine; he currently works as the assistant medical director and director of quality of the Emergency Department at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. Dr. Hoxhaj is an assistant professor at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and lectures nationally on the topics of quality/patient safety, customer service, and labor-management collaboration. He is actively involved in and a Fellow of the American College of Emergency Medicine. By enrolling in the University of Tennessee PEMBA program, Dr. Hoxhaj wishes to gain a greater understanding of the business concepts in today's health care system and to become a more effective physician leader.

Yisrael Safeek, MD, MBA
2007 Graduate
Anesthesiology
Chief Quality Officer
Chief Quality Officer/CMO Covenant Health System TX
Lexington, KY


Dr. Safeek is a physician executive with superior performance at the national level. He has served as JCAHO surveyor where he was involved with the formulation of national patient safety standards. Dr. Safeek has demonstrated commitment to excellence in patient care offering solid national leadership from significant experience in the healthcare management role. He was a prior physician shareholder of Cleveland Community Hospital, and has been chief executive officer of two successful medical practices in Tennessee and Kentucky. He is a Vanderbilt-trained anesthesiologist with sixteen years of unblemished clinical experience, including close to a dozen years as chairman of anesthesiology. He is member of the American College of Physician Executives, American College of Healthcare Executives, and Association of Clinical Directors. He has been a prior member of medical advisory panels and medical executive committees. Dr. Safeek is certified by the Royal College of Preceptors, the American Board of Anesthesiology, and the National Board of Medical Examiners.

Muthukumar Vaidyaraman, MD, MBA
2007 Graduate
Anesthesiology
Medical Director
Tripler Army Medical Center
Kaneoke, HI


Dr. Vaidyaraman is currently the medical director of the Pain Rehabilitation Clinic within the Department of Psychology at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. He completed basic medical training at Stanley Medical College in Chennai, India and had the opportunity to work in different health care systems throughout the world. Dr. Vaidyaraman spent two years in the NHS of the United Kingdom and then came to United States. He completed an anesthesiology residency at the Cleveland Clinic and a post-doctoral clinical fellowship in Pain Medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Apart from board certification in anesthesiology, Dr Vaidyaraman is also board-certified in pain medicine and interventional pain medicine; he is acknowledged by the World Institute of Pain as a Fellow of interventional pain practice. He has had the opportunity to practice in various settings, including private practice and managed care (HMO) throughout the United States. To complement this rich experience, Dr. Vaidyaraman decided to develop the dimensions of his business skills as a health care policymaker. Along with other physicians he is currently working on a joint venture project involving the U.S. Department of Defense and the Veterans Administration. They will submit a grant proposal to establish an Integrative Medicine Education and Research Center affiliated with the Harvard Medical School.

Richard Fleming, MD, MBA
2007 Graduate
Family Medicine
Site Medical Director
NextCare Urgent Care
Phoenix, AZ


Dr. Fleming is a native of Chicago and has lived in Phoenix, Arizona, for the past five years. He received his bachelor's degree in biology from The University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. Prior to entering medical school, he worked in several fields, including owning nightclubs in Chicago. Dr. Fleming attended medical school and a family practice residency at the University of Illinois in Chicago. After completing his residency he worked in Indian Health Services in Washington, New Mexico, and Arizona. Currently, he works at NextCare, a national urgent care corporation with 27 clinics, serving as site medical director at one of the clinics. He also is a medical director with VibrantCare Rehabilitation, which provides physical therapy services. He is planning on using his experience at PEMBA to develop an entrepreneurial venture.

Frederick Watson, Jr., DO, MBA
2007 Graduate
Family Medicine
Physician
Piedmont Urgent Care at Baxter Village
Cypress, TX


Dr. Watson attended the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kirksville, Missouri, graduating in 1997. Dr. Watson completed his internship and residency in family practice at Botsford Hospital in Farmington Hills, Michigan. He was chief resident in 1999-2000. During that time, he also completed a fellowship in medical education and teaching through the Statewide Campus System (SCS) and Michigan State University. He currently works as an associate medical director for Texas HealthSpring Insurance in Houston, Texas. His main responsibilities include utilization management, physician/IPA relations and lead medical director for the Partnership for Quality program. Said Dr. Watson, The Physician Executive MBA program gave me the tools to obtain a position in medical administration as well as succeed in my new career path.

Jasen Gundersen, MD, MBA
2007 Graduate
Family Medicine
Chief, Hospital Medicine
UMASS Memorial Medical Center
Sterling, MA


Dr. Gunderson lives in Massachusetts and is employed as chief of hospital medicine at UMASS Memorial Healthcare. He graduated from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine in 2000. His residency was completed at UMASS-Family Practice, where he was appointed chief resident in his final year. Dr. Gundersen believes an MBA will give him the leadership skills to better effect change within the business of medicine.

Mark Epstein, MD, MBA
2007 Graduate
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Physician
Presbyterian Health Systems
Albuquerque, NM


Dr. Epstein is an emergency physician and presently the medical director for urgent care at Presbyterian Health Services in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Dr. Epstein completed his undergraduate degree in human biology at Stanford University, followed by his medical degree at Yale University School of Medicine. He then completed a residency in emergency medicine at the University of New Mexico in 1995. Dr. Epstein served as the chairman of the emergency department at Lovelace Health Systems from 2000 to 2004 and served as Medical Director of the newly merged Lovelace Sandia Health Systems' group of four urban and suburban Emergency Departments from 2003 to 2004. He served on the local county EMS Medical Control Board and on the Board of Trustees of Albuquerque's largest ambulance service. After a seismic shift in the organizational structure at Lovelace, Dr. Epstein pursued a year-long emergency medicine opportunity at a 210-bed hospital situated in a lovely farming community in New Zealand, where he and his family enjoyed the very sensible Kiwi lifestyle. His immersion in a substantially different health care delivery system there proved to be an invaluable experience. Dr. Epstein returned to Albuquerque to resume work as an emergency physician at Presbyterian Health Services and recently assumed the role of medical director of the five Urgent Care Clinics at Presbyterian. He continues to work clinical shifts in the emergency room in addition to the urgent care clinics. By participating in the PEMBA program, Dr. Epstein intends to obtain a more in-depth understanding of the elements of financial analysis in health care and to acquire acumen in financial decision-making. He also hopes to explore venture capital strategies in healthcare, having enjoyed his work with an EMS software start-up firm from New Zealand.

Umar Chouhdry, MD, MBA
2007 Graduate
Internal Medicine
Senior Therapeutic Area Leader
sanofi-aventis Pharmaceuticals
Rock Hill, NY


Dr. Chouhdry is a native New Yorker. Dr. Chouhdry attended Marymount Manhattan College before earning his medical degree from St. George's University School of Medicine. During the course of his residency training at Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York, Dr. Chouhdry served as house staff president and won accolades for teaching excellence, patient care, and cultural competence initiatives. Dr. Chouhdry began practicing as a hospitalist after graduation. Dr. Chouhdry is currently a member of the Medical Affairs Department at the Sanofi-Aventis pharmaceutical company. As part of his role as a field medical director in its medical managed care division, Dr. Chouhdry specializes in medical and drug policy analysis, clinical practice guideline analysis and development, and disease management/quality improvement. As part of his role the integration of current evidence-based medicine with an understanding of health care economics (with focus on pharmacoeconomics) is applied towards the promotion of positive health outcomes. In the clinical arena, Dr. Chouhdry is still active part-time. He is a diplomat of the American Board of Internal Medicine; his clinical specialty lies in the field of hospitalist medicine. His interests are in the development of hospitalist programs and physician practice management organizations. On a larger level, he has an interest in hospital administration with focus on integrated delivery system approaches. Currently, Dr. Chouhdry is gearing up to open a primary care practice under the model of the patient-centered medical home. Dr. Chouhdry is committed to applying his business knowledge to the promotion of positive health outcomes for patients and delivery of quality care through the optimization of health care delivery vehicles (i.e., primary care practices, hospitalist programs, etc.). He strongly believes in sharing his experiences and the value of a business education with fellow physicians and physicians-in-training.

Keenan Wanamaker, DO, MBA
2007 Graduate
Surgery
CEO and Owner

Fountain Hills, AZ


Dr. Wanamaker is a general surgeon in private practice in Winfield, Alabama. He graduated from Michigan State University and completed a surgical residency in 2000. He has practiced clinical medicine in both urban and rural settings and currently enjoys a rural private practice. Dr. Wanamaker would like to transition his career into the administrative and corporate aspect of health care and hopes that a University of Tennessee MBA will help him achieve his goals.

Thomas Upshaw, MD, MBA
2007 Graduate
Psychiatry
Medical Director, Senior Mental Health Unit
University Health Systems
Daniel Island, SC


Dr. Upshaw graduated from Emory University School of Medicine in 1994. In 1998 he completed his internship and residency in Psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina. Since then, Dr. Upshaw has spent his time in private practice in South Carolina. He hopes that the skills provided by the PEMBA program will allow him to expand or merge his private practice into a long-term treatment and rehabilitation center to provide care for patients with co-occurring substance abuse and mental disorders.

Christopher Landess, MD, MBA
2007 Graduate
Family Medicine
Medical Director and Chief of Staff
Emergency Coverage Corporation
Gray, TN


Dr. Landess attended medical school at the James H. Quillen College of Medicine at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee. He completed residency at ETSU/Kingsport Family Practice and is board-certified in family practice. He has been employed by Emergency Coverage Corporation of Knoxville, an affiliate of Team Health, and as an emergency room physician since 2000. Team Health is one of the largest providers of emergency medical care in the country. Dr. Landess is currently medical director of the emergency room at Hawkins County Memorial Hospital in Rogersville, Tennessee, part of the Wellmont Health System. Dr. Landess wants to acquire the business knowledge and leadership skills necessary for future opportunities to be a physician leader.

Amol Soin, MD, MBA
2007 Graduate
Anesthesiology
Chairman
Ohio Pain Clinic
Xenia, OH


Dr. Soin is currently a fellow in pain management at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland, Ohio. He began his medical career after high school when he entered a combined BS/MD program through the University of Akron. Throughout his career, Dr. Soin has been active in health care economics and public policy. He authored the book Curing America: A Look Inside America's Failing Health Care System, when he was 19 years old. Since then, Dr. Soin has served as chairman of the Illinois State Medical Society for the resident and fellow section and is now chairman of Region Six for his section of the American Medical Association representing six states. Dr. Soin opened a multidisciplinary Pain Management Clinic in central Ohio.

Inga Himelright, MD, MPH, MBA
2007 Graduate
Infectious Diseases
Regional Medical Director
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee
Knoxville, TN


Dr. Himelright serves as a regional medical director of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee; she is board certified in internal medicine as well as infectious diseases. Dr. Himelright received her MPH in hospital planning and administration from the University of Tennessee. She has served in multiple leadership roles at the University of Tennessee Medical Center over the last 15 years, joining the administrative team in 2000. She served as vice president and medical director over patient safety, performance improvement, infection control, the medical staff office, the hospitalist program, case management, and patient placement. Concurrently, she served as medical director for the UPA, the physician owned IPA at the University of Tennessee Medical Center. Dr. Himelright is a clinical associate professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Tennessee Medical Center having been a full-time faculty member from 1991-1999. Her tenure in hospital administration and her current role at BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee have served to highlight the complexity of the health care industry. She would like to focus her efforts in gaining a greater understanding of the fields of economics, leadership, and communication. Dr. Himelright believes that improvements in American health care will depend on greater diversity of knowledge in health care leadership.

Michael Choo, MD, MBA
2007 Graduate
Emergency Medicine
President and CEO
Professional Emergency Specialists of Southern Ohio, Inc.
Centerville-Washington Township, OH


Dr. Choo currently lives in Wilmington, Ohio, where he is Vice President of Operations and Chief Medical Officer of at Clinton Memorial Hospital, CMH Regional Health Systems in Wilmington, Ohio. He received his medical degree from Boston University. In addition to being a member of the American College of Emergency Physicians he serves as volunteer faculty at the University of Kentucky, Wright State University, and a number of other teaching hospitals. Dr. Choo says his PEMBA education will assist him in integrating his academic/clinical credibility with a business degree to ensure the highest level of effectiveness within organizations.

Ahsen Chaudhry, MD, MBA
2007 Graduate
OB/GYN
Director, Division of Urogynecology
Meharry Medical College
Nashville, TN


This is a physician profile.

Hector Reyes, MD, MBA
2007 Graduate
Family Medicine
Senior Vice President, Business Development
eMedicalFiles, Inc.
New York, NY


Dr. Reyes is director of the Latin American Initiative for St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital in New York. Graduating from the University of Santo Domingo School of Medicine, Dr. Reyes has extensive experience in the field of health management, concentrating on the delivery of quality health care. Dr. Reyes realizes, however, that his empirical skills in business are not sufficient to handle the increasingly complex challenges of medical services administration, which is why he decided to pursue an MBA.

Schuyler Steelberg, MD, MBA
2007 Graduate
Family Medicine
Clinic Medical Director
Cherokee Nation Health Group
Cookson, OK


Dr. Steelberg is a native of Wichita, Kansas. He currently serves as the clinic medical director at the Muskogee Health Center in Muskogee, Oklahoma. He also serves as the medical director for Contract Health Services and is on the board of Cherokee Nation Home Health. He has been with Cherokee Nation Health Services Group since 1999. As a clinic medical director for the Cherokee Nation, Dr. Steelberg oversees physician and mid-level providers and ensures that the day-to-day tasks of managing a medical clinic run smoothly. As medical director for Contract Health, he assists with the prioritization of health care for patient needs that cannot be met within the clinic or IHS hospital system. Dr. Steelberg graduated from the University of Kansas in 1990 and the University of Kansas School of Medicine in 1996. He completed his family practice residency with the University of Kansas Medical Center in 1999 and was chief resident in his third year. He is board-certified by the American Board of Family Medicine and a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians. At present, the Muskogee facility is the smallest of the six Cherokee Nation clinics with the ability to see only women and children. A new, 100,000-square foot facility opened in Muskogee in September of 2007. Said Dr. Steelberg, My role is to prepare the smallest Cherokee Nation clinic for the changes and challenges that will occur as it transforms into the flagship Cherokee Nation clinic. This clinic will employ more than 200 individuals, including at least 14 physicians and mid-level staff. The University of Tennessee Physician Executive MBA program will help me better prepare for managing a large group of physicians and mid-level practitioners in a clinical setting.

MacDara Tynan, MD, MBA
2007 Graduate
Pediatrics
Director, Hospitalist Program
Carolinas Medical Center
Charlotte, NC


Dr. Tynan is the director of the Pediatric Hospitalist Program at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. Dr. Tynan obtained his medical degree at University College in Dublin, Ireland, in 1986. He subsequently trained in pediatrics in the United Kingdom at Birmingham Children's Hospital and London's Great Ormond Street Hospital. Moving to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1992, he completed a fellowship in pediatric hospital medicine in 1996 at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Tynan was a member of the faculty at Temple University's School of Medicine in Philadelphia. He also contributed to the post-graduate medical education programs at DeSales University and the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Tynan is a member of the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health and the Royal College of Physicians in London. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a member of the American College of Research Physicians. Dr. Tynan is listed in the register of specialty-trained physicians maintained by the Medical Council in the United Kingdom. He selected the PEMBA program at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, to improve his understanding and skills with regard to the financial, operational, and business aspects of health care.

Ernest Block, MD, MBA
2007 Graduate
Surgery
Director, Trauma Services
Orlando Regional Medical Center
Winter Park, FL


Dr. Block is medical director of the Level I Trauma Center at the Orlando Regional Medical Center in Orlando, Florida. Dr. Block was raised in Montreal, Canada. He received a bachelor of arts degree from Cornell University with a dual major in history of art and biochemistry. After receiving his medical degree from the University of Miami, Dr. Block completed a general surgery residency at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and then additional training in trauma and critical care at Jackson Memorial in Miami, Florida. Dr. Block is an active clinician as well as medical director. He holds offices in a number of academic surgical associations, including the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma, the American College of Surgeons, the Florida Committee on Trauma, and the Florida Chapter of the American College of Surgeons. In 2002, after practicing for ten years as surgeon, Dr. Block attended night school to become an EMT to better relate to the pre-hospital team that brings the trauma center its patients. He regularly participates in ride along time with EMS and fire-rescue teams. He lives in Winter Park, Florida with his wife Susan and three children. Dr. Block is attending the University of Tennessee PEMBA to improve his leadership skills, quality improvement tools, and financial abilities. He plans to use the new knowledge to assist with the complexities of medical direction, improve the business dealings of his professional groups, and prepare him for future directions in academic leadership.

Anthony Mauriello, MD, MBA, FAAOS
2007 Graduate
Orthopedic Surgeon
Orthopaedic Surgeon
Penn Othopaedics of Lancaster, Ltd.
Lancaster, PA


Dr. Mauriello graduated from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, with an undergraduate degree in psychology. He then graduated form Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, with his medical degree. Following an orthopedic surgery residency, Dr. Mauriello completed a fellowship in surgical arthritis and total joint replacement surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, New York. After working in solo, group, and multi-specialty orthopedic practices, Dr. Mauriello, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon, is a physician-partner at Penn Orthopedics of Lancaster, Ltd., located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. By entering the PEMBA program, Dr. Mauriello is seeking to expand his knowledge of medical practice models and multi-specialty practice dynamics.

Nirmal Nandakumar, DO, MBA
2007 Graduate
Emergency Medicine
Staff Emergency Physician
Crittenton Hospital and Medical Center
West Bloomfield, MI


Dr. Nandakumar is currently employed at Team Health West in Pleasanton, California. After obtaining his bachelor of science from the University of Michigan, Dr. Nandakumar attended the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine. An avid entrepreneur, Dr. Nandakumar has pursued business endeavors in both the real estate and technology markets. Recently, he has been involved with promoting medicine in developing countries, particularly India. Dr. Nandakumar believes that an MBA will further develop his interpersonal skills and talents to advance his career in medicine and his personal goals.

Persharon Dixon, MD, MBA
2007 Graduate
Pediatrics
Medical Director
Mississippi Gulf Coast Children's Health Project
Ocean Springs, MS


Dr. Dixon began her professional journey after receiving a bachelor of arts degree in chemistry from Berry College in Rome, Georgia, in 1986. She was accepted to the Emory University School of Medicine's Allied Health Program where she obtained a second bachelor of arts degree and certification as a physician assistant. For three years Dr. Dixon worked primarily in obstetrics and gynecology in a private practice and at a local hospital. She also worked in sickle cell and surgery, but her motivation to enter medical school would come from her employer in obstetrics and gynecology. She entered Morehouse School of Medicine in 1991 and received her degree in 1995. Her decision to practice primary care pediatrics was nourished through a three-year residency at Emory University School of Medicine. She was able to train in the top pediatric facilities in Georgia where rotations were completed in general pediatrics and specialty care areas. Dr. Dixon worked at Southside Medical Center in Atlanta, Georgia, from 1998 to 2003, after which she established Helping Hand Pediatric Services, LLC, which offers locum tenens services for pediatricians in the Atlanta area. In 2005 Dr. Dixon was asked to become medical director of an up-start urgent care center where her primary duties were hiring staff and setting up the operations. After Hurricane Katrina, she volunteered in the Gulf Coast. She was selected as medical director of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Children's Health Project. In July 2006 she began her new responsibility of overseeing the development of programs and provision of pediatric care via two state-of-the-art mobile medical and mental health units for children of the Gulf Coast. This position has allowed her to integrate her skills as a provider and administrator on a grander scale. Now she wishes to expand her knowledge of the business requirements of health care so that she is most effective in her current position and prepared for advancement within the organization. She is certain the PEMBA program at the University of Tennessee will more than equip her with the necessary qualifications.

William Higgs, MD, MBA
2007 Graduate
Thoracic Surgery
Partner and Surgeon
Cardiovascular Associates, PC
Mobile, AL


Dr. Higgs graduated from Baylor College of Medicine in 1969 and completed a mixed medicine/surgery internship in 1970 at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine Affiliated Hospitals in Memphis, Tennessee. He completed his vascular and general surgery residency at Baylor College of Medicine Affiliate Hospitals in 1974. Following his residency, Dr. Higgs attended Emory University School of Medicine for cardiac and thoracic surgery training. He currently teaches at the University of South Alabama School of Medicine in addition to his work in private practice. Dr. Higgs hopes earning his MBA will aid in communication and management in a hospital environment with the intent of improving patient care delivery.

Marlon Michel, MD, MBA
2007 Graduate
Anesthesiology
Staff Anesthesiologist
Mountain West Anesthesia
Orem, UT


Dr. Michel is a native of Canada from a small farming town of 300. For his undergraduate education he studied at Brigham Young University, in Provo, Utah, majoring in zoology. After receiving his bachelor of science degree, Dr. Michel attended the MD program at the University of Alberta, in Edmonton, Alberta where he received a full tuition scholarship. For his residency in anesthesiology he attended Oregon Health and Sciences University in Portland, Oregon. He is now board-certified and has been in private practice for over three years. Dr. Michel currently works as a staff anesthesiologist in Provo, Utah, for Mountain West Anesthesia, one of the biggest MD-only anesthesia groups in the nation. Dr. Michel has a small real estate investing business and would like the skills he has acquired from the PEMBA program to further his investing goals in this area. He also hopes to acquire better leadership skills along with an improved understanding of the balance between medicine and business. Dr. Michel hopes to participate in administration in a hospital or surgical center setting.

Luis de la Cruz Abramo, MD, MBA
2007 Graduate
Anesthesiology
Staff Physician
Sheridan Healthcare
Coral Gables, FL


Dr. De La Cruz graduated from the Universidad Central de Venezuela with a medical degree followed by a fellowship in cardiothoracic anesthesiology from Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. De La Cruz currently practices anesthesiology at Baptist Hospital of Miami in Miami, Florida. He believes negotiation and quantitative skills, leadership, and strategy are basic tools that a business degree can provide to enhance the physician's ability to provide the highest level of care for his or her patients.