Harry Bailes a business leader and seasoned entrepreneur. Harry graduated from law school at the University of Virginia in 1971. After practicing law in Charlottesville for a number of years, he has spent his career involved in businesses that revolved around personal computers and communications. Most recently, he was a part of the management team of Image Technology, Inc., a company that was a leading database publishing company that was sold to MCI. Following that sale, Harry started KOZ.com, an internet company that built social networking software for the internet and had as its target clients major media companies.

Harry joined Connexion Technologies in 2003 and was a senior executive there until 2008. During that time Connexion become a recognized industry leader with more than 500 people focused on FTTH deployments and more than 200 communities being served by Service Providers who work with Connexion. Harry recently chose to accept positions of CEO of Smart Resort, LLC and President of BCI/DSSI Internet, companies who provide service to Connexion and other communities. In January of 2009, Harry began the formation of the Family Health Network, Inc.

Griffin Burgh is a lifelong technologist with 25 years of C-level management experience leading the development of innovative products across a broad range of industry segments including computer aided design, database publishing, multi-media content management, and logistics optimization. Over the last two years, Griff has been instrumental in guiding the launch of Fisher Coachwork’s and their advanced hybrid mass-transit bus, where he helped raise over $6 million in early stage funding together with $11.2 million in
state tax incentives.

Griff is contributing his unique skill-set and diverse leadership experience to help HHN position the company for a successful product launch by focusing the development effort n sustainable competitive advantages and strategies to leverage a very talented team of industry professionals and multi-disciplinary subject matter experts. Griff is a YPO lumnus and earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Utah and a Master’s Degree from the University of Virginia.

Jill Brasacchio has experience in medical provider business relations for both health care delivery systems and the pharmaceutical industry. With over 19 years tenure she has been an innovator in consultative marketing, new business development and health care provider network management. Her career has demonstrated an ability to be a solutions architect for understanding the complexity of medical communities of practice working for health delivery leaders such as Aetna, BlueCross BlueShield, Kaiser Permanente and US Healthcare. ill also has expert knowledge of product market launches for pharmaceutical sales with market leaders such as Merck & Co., Inc. and Pfizer, Inc. In addition, her business nalysis acumen includes the specialty of academic and community based thought leader development, military account management and contract negotiation for channels of distribution of product sales. Her tenure in the medical industry brings a unique ability to cultivate and build superior business relationships in the complex and evolving landscape of health care delivery.

Peter W. Chauncey is a health care executive with extensive experience in organizing and leading health care delivery and health plan organizations. His career has been oriented toward the goal of meeting the needs of patients and populations within sponsored benefit plans by integrating high quality, accessible services delivered across the health care continuum in a cost-effective manner. Since 2000, he has held the position of Chief Operating Officer with WellPath, a health care plan in the Carolinas owned by
Coventry Health Care, Inc. Chauncey originally joined WellPath in 1995 soon after it’s inception as a joint venture between Duke University and New York Life Insurance Co. Prior to that, he spent 17 years with the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program serving in several Regional Medical administration roles organizing medical delivery and health plan operations in three different regions across several Mid-Atlantic states.

Chauncey received a BS in Business Administration and a Masters in Health Care Administration in the School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

He has been a Fellow in the American College of Health Care Executives since 1992.

From 1999 to the present, Keith has served as an executive of CIGNA Corporation (NYSE: CI), a global provider of employee benefits and related services.  His specific assignments at CIGNA involved the presidencies of two major subsidiaries: CIGNA Behavioral Health (1997-2006) and CIGNA Health Solutions (2006-present).  He has had full P&L responsibility for an operation with annual revenues of $1B, 1500 employees, and national as well as international scope.  The businesses Keith led at CIGNA sustained double-digit earnings CAGRs throughout his tenure.   This achievement provided one of the top sources of profit for this Fortune 500 corporation for more than a decade.   In 2009, Keith received the CIGNA Chairman’s Champion Award for Innovation, largely for the development of CIGNA’s “Integrated Personal Health Teams,” a revolutionary approach to health coaching and disease management. 

Prior to his work at CIGNA, Keith served as President of United Behavioral Health, a subsidiary of United Health Group (NYSE: UNH).  Preceding that, Keith held a variety of executive positions with start-up companies in the health care industry.   He is a well-known and respected leader in the fields of behavioral health management, corporate health and wellness, and disease management.

Keith received his Ph.D. in psychology from The Union Graduate School, a Masters Degree from the University of St. Thomas, and his B.A. from The University of Minnesota.  He was the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship to study the impact of science, technology and health services in rural India through the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics in Poona, India.

Keith has been active in U.S. health care policy from 1993 to the present.  In 1997, he served as Chairman of The American Managed Behavioral Health Care Association in Washington, D.C., a trade group of national behavioral companies.  He was instrumental in assisting a prominent trade association, America’s Insurance Plans (AHIP) with federal regulations affecting mental health and substance abuse benefits, and more broadly with federal health care reform through 2008-2009.  Currently, he is on the Board of the Institute for Workplace Health & Productivity of the National Group on Health in Washington, D.C.  Keith has a long list of publications, media appearances and speaking engagements.  As an aside, he is also an accomplished oil painter and sculptor.

L. Allen Dobson Jr., M.D. is a native of North Carolina and received his undergraduate education at North Carolina State University. He attended medical school at Bowman Gray School of Medicine at Wake Forest University and completed his residency in family medicine at East Carolina University where he served as chief resident. After finishing medical training, Dr. Dobson founded Mt. Pleasant Family Physicians and served as president until assuming the role of Director for Cabarrus Family Medicine Residency in 1995 and President/CEO of Cabarrus Family Medicine. Dr. Dobson has been actively involved in health policy on the state and national level. He was an early leader and developer of the national recognized “Community Care of North Carolina” Medicaid managed care program. This program recently received the Annie E Casey award for Innovations in Government, presented by the Harvard’ Kennedy School of Government. In 2005 he was appointed Assistant Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services by Governor Mike Easley, where he was responsible for the health divisions of the department as well as serving as the state Medicaid Director. In Sept. 2007, he stepped down from his state appointment to become Vice President for Clinical Practice Development for Carolinas Healthcare System and return as President of Cabarrus Family Medicine.

Dr. Dobson was named the 1992 North Carolina Family Physician of the Year. In 1993, he was the recipient of the Order of the Long Leaf Pine presented by Governor James Martin and a finalist for AAFP Family Physician of the Year. In 2006 Dr. Dobson was presented the Life Time Achievement Award by the NCAFP and the Harvey Estes Community Service Award by the North Carolina Medical Society. In Oct 2007, the AAFP presented Dr Dobson with its National Public Health Award for contribution to the public health of NC citizens. Dr. Dobson has been actively involved in medical student and resident education for many years, holding a faculty appointment of professor of family medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and has served on the Board of the Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors. In 2006 he was presented the 7th Annual Curtis Award for Education by the UNC Department of Family Medicine.

Tom Earnhardt, P.A.-C, serves as Senior Vice President for Cabarrus Family Medicine, PA, a unique multi-clinic group that provides comprehensive family healthcare while maintaining a personal, small office atmosphere.  Cabarrus Family Medicine, PA provides high quality, cost effective, and individualized care for the lifespan of patient’s special needs. The organization consists of an integrated team of board-certified family doctors, family practice resident physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nutritionist, pharmacists, psychologists, social workers, nurses and medical office assistants.  The CFM primary care network includes twelve locations covering over 150,000 lives in and around Cabarrus, Rowan and Stanly Counties.

A North Carolina native originally from Rocky Mount, Mr. Earnhardt grew up in the Mt. Pleasant area.  He completed his undergraduate training at Pfeiffer University where he received a B.S. in chemistry and biology then completed his PA training at Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.  He later obtained his Masters Degree in Health Administration from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Mr. Earnhardt currently serves on the Board of Directors for NCHICA (the North Carolina Healthcare Information and Communications Alliance).  He has special interest in computerized patient medical records and Health Information Exchange, and has spent countless hours working toward electronic data interchange and commerce.  His vision has sparked interest by many in the industry and has been invited as guest speaker for many local, state, and national organizations including HIMSS (healthcare Information Management and Systems Society) and the Medical Records Institute.  Mr. Earnhardt is also a member of the Editorial Board for Health Data Management Magazine.

 
Kim Garretson is a partner at Ovative/Group, a Minneapolis innovation advisory services firm that connects early-stage digital services and products to leading retailers and corporations. Ovative/Group's partners include the recent president of Target.com, Best Buy's recent strategy lead for digital innovation and executives from the database services industry. Prior to forming Ovative/Group, Kim recently was Best Buy liaison to the venture capital industry in its corporate strategy and innovation department. His role was to identify trends relating to the increasingly connected population and source innovation from among emerging companies. Included in Kim's role at Best Buy was to identify the future of connected devices and related content and services to allow senior citizens to age 'gracefully' in their own homes. Prior to Best Buy Kim was the co-founder of NOVO, the fourth largest digital agency at its sale to Leo Burnet advertising in 2001. In his career in digital media, Kim has produced several firsts, including the first consumer digital magazine in the form of embedded software, in 1983. He has also produced the first all-video broadband network, for Time Warner; the first private Internet network for new home communities; and the first PC software and Internet magazine for home living, produced in partnership with Home and Garden Television Network. Kim began his career as the technology columnist for Better Homes and Gardens

Gary Glissman has more than thirty years’ experience in healthcare services and operations in several senior management positions. During the past six years he has had responsibility for multiple on-site employer outpatient clinics and pharmacies as an Assistant VP of Site Operations for Take Care Health Systems, a division of Walgreens Health Services. Prior to this role, he had been the AVP and Director of Telehealth Services for I-trax (later acquired by Walgreens), where he was responsible for the delivery of telephonic disease management and nursing triage services for large employers, insurance companies and other clients throughout the U.S.

Before joining I-trax, Glissman had been the Operations and Program Manager for Ancillary Care Management, an Internet-based Application Services Provider that specialized in the development and delivery of web-based programs for physicians and home care companies. Prior to this, Glissman had spent ten years as an Area Manager for Interim HealthCare, the largest home care company in the U.S.

Glissman received his BS in Business Administration from the University of Nebraska and has been a licensed Registered Nurse since 1977. He was also part of the first group of individuals in the U.S. to achieve Certified Case Manager status.

Dr. Gruber is currently President, Healthcare Convergence Associates, a consulting firm focused on the tri-section of healthcare, the consumer, and digital media and technology. He has had 25+ years of experience in healthcare as a Corporate executive, Wall Street analyst and physician. Until December 2008, Dr. Gruber was Vice President, Corporate Development and New Ventures, J&J Consumer Group of Companies. His initial focus was in aesthetics, skin cancer and imaging. He subsequently spent the past few years focusing on the emergence of consumer-centric healthcare, and the role of enabling technology in fostering system change, consumer engagement and operational efficiency.

Until 2002, Dr. Gruber worked on Wall Street as a sellside and buyside analyst. He was a top-10 ranked analyst at Lehman Brothers covering medical device and supply companies, including Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic, Becton Dickinson and others. Dr. Gruber was the lead manager for the IPO’s of Intuitive Surgical and Given Imaging, as well as the lead analyst for a merchant banking investment in Therasense, subsequently sold to Abbott for $1.4 billion. These companies were among the most successful healthcare investments in the past decade.

Prior to entering Wall Street, Dr. Gruber was Vice President, Planning & Business Development in the $1.6B Healthcare Group at Bristol-Myers Squibb. He joined its ConvaTec division as a senior financial analyst following graduation from business school in 1986.


James Meckstroth serves as Director-Technology Development for Oriel Therapeutics in RTP, NC in addition to his CEO role for Filtara, an early stage medical device start-up.Recently, Meckstroth served as Director of Operations for SunTech Medical, a privately held, $20+million producer of non-invasive blood pressure monitors and low cost vital signs monitors. In his role, he formed the Production & Materials Operation function, expanded off-shore sourcing and introduced contemporary operations methodology and rapid fulfillment initiatives. Previously, he consulted and held term appointments for early stage ventures. Meckstroth provided leadership for technology commercialization, product engineering and operations start-up. One role included assisting the founders of an early stage pulmonary drug delivery venture, Oriel Therapeutics in RTP, NC with medical device development to commercialize technology licensed from UNC-Chapel Hill for electronic stimulation of pharmaceutical drug delivery.

Meckstroth earlier served as Director of Operations / Director of R&D for PPG Biomedical Systems in Lenexa, Kansas. His division was a $70 Million producer of Class II medical instrumentation for cardiac catheterization and electro-physiology labs, patient monitors, and an anesthesia system data recording/reporting system. Meckstroth successfully led product development and was subsequently assigned to lead all of the division’s operations including manufacturing, materials, engineering and software development, and QA/RA,.


Doug Patton - Family Health Network Chief Knowledge Officer

Doug Patton has an extensive background in telecommunications, online communities, social networking and the effects of media on the masses. Doug graduated from the Bryan business school at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro in 2007. He created and managed at KOZ.com one of the largest online community of families - The Family Shoebox (www.familyshoebox.com). Previously, at Image Technology, inc. Mr. Patton held the positions of software developer, communications engineer, sales engineer, and business development specialist.




Eric Steimle ia a cofounder of Family Health Network and leads the technical team. Eric is an accomplished Electrical Engineer, team leader, and systems designer. Over his career he has helped bring numerous consumer products to market. Including some of the first Cable Modems/ Cable Routers at Motorola, consumer printers for companies like Kodak, Canon and HP, digital picture frames, video cameras and more recently consumer targeted energy management devices. Eric also brings with him a wealth of experience in system software development, having developed numerous applications including one of the first home voip routers, a web and phone based 24/7 ticket system for Nortel phone system installers, and a system of network connected video photo booths for Ray-ban. 

Sam Whitt is an experienced business executive and attorney. He currently serves as Special Counsel to Nexsen Pruet, PLLC, a Carolinas-based law firm with over 180 attorneys, here he represents corporate clients ranging from start-up ventures to Fortune 500 companies. His background includes mergers, acquisitions, and a variety of transactional matters. Sam worked with Cherokee Investment Partners, a $2B private equity firm focused on Brownfield redevelopment, where he served as Executive Director of Cherokee's philanthropic arm, Cherokee Gives Back Foundation.

Prior to joining Cherokee, Sam served as Chief Executive Officer of Wind Channel Communications, a wireless telecom company, which grew from start-up phase in 2003 until sold to a venture-backed company in 2006. From 1999 to 2003, he worked with technology companies, serving as Chief Operating Officer & General Counsel of MediaSpan Group, a media services company with over 200 employees and 4000 media customers, where he was responsible for legal, business development, HR and public relations matters. He also worked with an Internet services company where he helped secure millions in venture funding and successfully guided the company through a complete corporate reorganization in connection with the consolidation that created MediaSpan.

Prior to operational roles, Sam practiced law with Manning, Fulton & Skinner, P.A. and Sanford Holshouser L.L.P., focusing on general corporate, economic development, M&A, tax and finance matters. He started his professional career on the audit team at Coopers & Lybrand, CPAs. He is a founding board member of the Raleigh Charter High School. Sam earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Brigham Young University and a Juris Doctor from George Mason University School of Law, where he served on the Law Review.

As Chief Financial Officer, Michael Woolard is an integral part of its management team responsible for financial and financial management of Optimal's operations. Prior to joining Optimal, Mr. Woolard was the VP of Finance for Connexion Technologies, on of the leading FTTH companies in the United States. He has served as a middle market commercial lender for Bank One and earned his CPA license in the state of Ohio while working as an auditor for KPMG, one of the largest professional services firms in the world. Mr.

Woolard obtained his MBA from the Fisher Colllege of Business at The Ohio State University. Over the past few years, he has served as a lecturer at North Carolina State as well as The Ohio State University.