HHC ACO Inc., an Accountable Care Organization

Ramanathan (Ram) Raju, MD, MBA, FACS, FACHE, is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC), the largest municipal healthcare system in the nation. Dr. Raju was appointed by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio in January 2014 to lead the 37,000 employees of this $6.7 billion corporation, which includes 11 acute care hospitals, five nursing homes, six large diagnostic and treatment centers, more than 70 community-based health centers, a large home care agency, and one of the New York area's largest providers of government-sponsored health insurance, MetroPlus Health Plan, the plan of choice for nearly half a million New Yorkers. Last year, HHC facilities served 1.4 million New Yorkers – including more than 475,000 uninsured.

Prior to accepting the role of President and CEO at HHC, Dr. Raju was the Chief Executive Officer for the Cook County Health & Hospitals System (CCHHS) in Chicago, Illinois, the third largest public health system in the country. During his tenure there, Dr. Raju turned the financial status of the system around, improving the cash flow by over 100 million dollars. His proposed healthcare delivery model fetched the much coveted 1115 Waiver to the Social Security Act, enabling the creation of CountyCare, an Illinois Medicaid program to provide coverage for low-income adults in Cook County, and leading to health coverage for more than 82,000 Cook County residents.

Under his leadership, CCHHS received meaningful use designation for advancement in information technology, specifically the electronic medical record; and improvements in the supply chain management which is expected to yield millions of dollars in savings for taxpayers in the years to come.

A positive patient experience, which was a major focus of Dr. Raju’s leadership at CCHHS, was reflected by the improved Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers (HCAHPs) scores, and in the reduction of wait times in the Emergency Department to less than two hours. The clinical improvements at CCHHS include The Joint Commission accreditation for both Cook County public hospitals as well as its ambulatory clinic network. Dr. Raju's further recognition that patients are more likely to use care they can access near their home resulted in the development of a network of more than 130 primary care access points through partnerships with FQHCs, safety-net and community hospitals, academic medical centers and private doctors.

Dr. Raju began his medical career at Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn and went on to serve as the COO and Medical Director at HHC's Coney Island Hospital. Then in 2006, he became the HHC Chief Medical Officer, Corporate Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President. While he served there, HHC continued to climb and reach great heights in quality, patient safety and healthcare data transparency.

Dr. Raju attended Madras Medical College to earn his medical diploma and his Master of Surgery degree. He underwent further training in England and was elected as a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons. Dr. Raju is also a physician executive, having obtained an MBA from the University of Tennessee and CPE from the American College of Physician Executives. He is Vice-Chair of the Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA), and is a member of the Board of Directors at America's Essential Hospitals and the Asian Health Care Leaders Association (AHCLA). In 2015, he will begin a three-year term on the Board of Trustees of the American Hospital Association (AHA).

Dr. Raju is also the recipient of numerous national recognitions. In 2014 he was #37 on Modern Healthcare’s list of the nation’s “100 Most Influential People in Healthcare.” Modern Healthcare also named him one of the “Top 25 Minority Executives in Healthcare” and one of the “50 Most Influential Physician Executives in Healthcare” in 2013 and 2014. In 2013, he was named a Business Leader of Color by Chicago United. Also in 2013, Becker's Hospital Review designated him as one of “20 Hospital and Health System Leaders to Follow on Twitter.”

Ross McL. Wilson, M.D., is Senior Vice President of Quality, Corporate Chief Medical Officer, and a Corporate Officer at HHC. In this capacity, Dr. Wilson oversees the Division of Medical & Professional Affairs, which addresses the quality of health services and provides the clinical leadership for the corporation. In addition, Dr. Wilson is the CEO of HHC’s Accountable Care Organization (ACO). Dr. Wilson joined HHC in January 2008 as Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Senior Assistant Vice President for Quality.

Prior to joining HHC, he was the Director of the Northern Center for Healthcare Improvement at NSW Health (Australia) and the Chair of the Strategic Advisory Board of the International Forum for Safety and Quality in Health Care.

Dr. Wilson had more than 25 years of clinical experience in Critical Care Medicine and 20 years of experience in clinical leadership positions. He is a graduate of the University of Sydney School Of Medicine and a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, and the College of Intensive Care Medicine of Australia and New Zealand.

Marlene Zurack is Senior Vice President of Finance and Managed Care, Corporate Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”), and a Corporate Officer at HHC. As CFO, Ms. Zurack has charge and custody of and responsibility for all HHC funds and securities. Specifically, she has oversight of all treasury, financial planning and analysis, accounting, debt financing, investor relations, revenue cycle management operations, and budgeting functions. In addition, Ms. Zurack is responsible for managed care contracting and operations.

Prior to her current role at HHC, Ms. Zurack was the Deputy Budget Director of Health, Social Services, and Intergovernmental Relations at the New York City Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) for a period greater than seven (7) years. Before working at OMB, she worked at the New York City Office of Business Development as the Director of Program Development.

Ms. Zurack received her undergraduate education at Cornell University, School of Industrial and Labor Relations, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree. She subsequently pursued her graduate education at Columbia University, Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, where she was awarded a Master of Science in Urban Planning degree.

Salvatore J. Russo, Esq., is Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Secretary to the Board of Directors, and a Corporate Officer at HHC. In this position, Mr. Russo serves as HHC’s principal legal officer and advises the Board of Directors, President, Executive Vice President, Senior Vice Presidents, and Executive Directors of all HHC facilities on all legal matters affecting policy and operations, including contractual agreements; labor law; municipal and State law affecting capital and expense budget administration; personnel administration; medical and hospital law; and Federal, State and City legislative matters. Mr. Russo’s responsibilities include overseeing the day-to-day activities within the Office of Legal Affairs, as well as serving as Secretary to the Board of Directors. In addition to these responsibilities, Mr. Russo is the chief officer in charge of the Office of Labor Relations and the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action, leading HHC’s activities with regard to unionized personnel and their unions and spearheading the administration of the equal employment policies of HHC, respectively.

Mr. Russo has over thirty (30) years of experience as a lawyer - - serving twenty-seven (27) of those years in various attorney titles at HHC. In addition to his legal experience at HHC, he previously worked as the In-house Counsel for Maimonides Medical Center of Brooklyn, Director of Legal Affairs for the Greater New York Hospital Association, and Counsel to the Metropolitan Health Administrators’ Association.

Mr. Russo received his Juris Doctor degree from Hofstra University School of Law. He is admitted to practice law before the courts of the State of New York and the United States District Court for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. Mr. Russo is also a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of New York University College of Arts and Science, where he was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy and Political Science.

Mrs. Berger Gaskin is a coal miner’s daughter from the state of West Virginia who dedicated her entire professional career to serving New York City Health & Hospitals Corporation patients as Obstetrics and Gynecology Technician and Registered Head Nurse at Kings County Hospital Center. During her 34 years as a nurse, Mrs. Berger Gaskin received recognition for her dedication to patient care, participated in various hospital committees, and served on Nurses Council.

Mrs. Berger Gaskin continues to support HHC in retirement. She is the past Vice President and active member of the Kings County Community Advisory Board, as well as 2nd Vice President of the Auxiliary Board and Community Advisory Board for Dr. Susan Smith McKinney Rehabilitation and Nursing Center. Mrs. Berger Gaskin was one of the first recipients of HHC’s Marjorie Matthews Award, which is given to outstanding community leaders in HHC hospitals.

To promote health and social justice in her community, Mrs. Berger Gaskin has volunteered with the Red Cross blood pressure screening program, the Brooklyn Diabetes Task Force, Community Board 14, Lions Club International, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and the National Council of Negro Women.

Mrs. Berger Gaskin loves the Lord and is a member of the First Baptist Church of Crown Heights, where she serves as the Vice President of the Deaconess Board, Chaplain and former President of the Victor Skelton Health Guild, and past member of the South Carolina Club. Drawing upon her experience as chairperson of various church health fairs, she has been instrumental in helping other churches and senior centers bring health fairs to their communities.

For her efforts Mrs. Berger Gaskin has received numerous citations and proclamations from city, state, and federal officials, as well as local and national organizations.

Gary Kalkut, MD, MPH joined NYULMC in July 2012 to focus on medical center preparation for health reform. In recognition that newer payment models were central to health reform, NYULMC formed a clinically integrated network (CIN) in 2011 to accept performance-based and shared savings contracts. The CIN is a partnership between the medical center’s physicians and hospitals founded on patient-centered care, implementation of evidence-based clinical standards, and information sharing through a health information exchange. Dr. Kalkut has responsibility for developing the NYU network capacity for clinical integration, working with the faculty to achieve its goals. He is also charged with building a care management infrastructure for NYULMC that coordinates care for patients throughout the NYU delivery system to reduce costs, improve quality, and provide a better patient experience.

Previously, he had been had been on the faculty of Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine from 1991-2012 and was the Chief Medical Officer at Montefiore for five years before coming to NYULMC. Dr. Kalkut also served as the senior clinical executive responsible for the planning of the Montefiore Pioneer Accountable Care Organization. Dr. Kalkut is an infectious diseases specialist who is a graduate of the Boston University School of Medicine. He is a Professor of Medicine and Population Health at the NYU School of Medicine.

COMING SOON

Dr. Luis R. Marcos was appointed Chief Executive Officer at PAGNY in March 2013. Most recently he served as New York University School of Medicine Medical Director for Affiliations where he is a Professor of Psychiatry. Dr. Marcos held the positions of President and Chief Executive Officer with the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation from 1995 through 2002. He served in the capacity of Commissioner for the New York City Department of Mental Health, Retardation, and Alcoholism Services from 1992 to 1995, and Senior Vice President for Mental Health and Prison Health Services for New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation from 1981 to 1992.

Dr. Marcos served on the Board of Directors and as Chairman of the Quality Committee for the Catholic Healthcare West Hospital System in California from 2003 to 2007. Board certified in Psychiatry, Dr. Marcos is a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine and a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. He has been a member of the New York State Board for Medicine since 2005. Dr. Marcos earned his M.D. degree from Seville University in Spain in 1967, and his Doctor of Medical Science degree from SUNY Downstate in 1975. He completed his residency training in Psychiatry at Bellevue Hospital.

Antonio D. Martin is Executive Vice President (“EVP”), Corporate Chief Operating Officer (“COO”), and a Corporate Officer at HHC. Mr. Martin is charged with leading HHC’s restructuring efforts as well as overseeing broad operational areas such as information technology, operations, professional services and affiliations, contract administration and control, corporate support services, internal audits, materials management, and organizational innovation and effectiveness. In addition to these functions and responsibilities, he directly oversees the activities of the Senior Vice Presidents at HHC’s six (6) healthcare networks. Also, as EVP, Mr. Martin assumes all the duties of the President as requested by President or if the President is unable to act because of absence or disability.

Mr. Martin has been a presence in the HHC community for over twenty-five (25) years, holding numerous senior administrative positions at several HHC facilities. Before being appointed to his current post as COO, Mr. Martin was Senior Vice President of HHC’s Central Brooklyn Family Health Network (“CBFHN”) and Executive Director of Kings County Hospital Center (“Kings”). In his role as the principal administrative officer of the CBFHN, Mr. Martin was charged with the operational and fiscal oversight of Kings, East New York Diagnostic and Treatment Center ("D & TC”), and Dr. Susan Smith McKinney Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. Prior to his executive role at CBFHN, Mr. Martin was the Executive Director of Queens Hospital Center for over seven (7) years. Mr. Martin also served as Executive Director of East New York D & TC, and Deputy Executive Director for Central Brooklyn Health Network’s Behavioral Health Services.

Mr. Martin received undergraduate and graduate degrees from the New School for Social Research, earning a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Science degree, respectively.

Jasmin Moshirpur, M.D. is the Dean for Elmhurst and Queens Hospital Center Programs at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Regional Medical Director for the Queens Health Network, which includes Elmhurst Hospital Center and Queens Hospital Center. Dr. Moshirpur attended the Shiraz School of Medicine in Iran where she received her MD degree in 1962. She immigrated to the United States in 1963 beginning her Residency in OBS/GYN and following with her Fellowship in OBS/GYN Endocrinology at the Mount Sinai Medical Center.

Dr. Moshirpur began her career at Elmhurst Hospital Center in 1970 as Director of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Out-Patient Department. In July 1977, Dr. Moshirpur became Director of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Elmhurst Hospital Center. In 1987 she was promoted to Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. She has been President of the Saul B. Gusberg Society, President of the Queens Gynecology Society, President of the Shiraz University School of Medical Sciences Alumni Association and the President of the Iranian-American Medical Association, in the USA.

Dr. Moshirpur is a member of the American Academy of Medical Directors, New York Obstetrical Society, and the American Medical Association. Dr. Moshirpur is the recipient of many awards to include; Mount Sinai School of Medicine Excellence in Teaching, Chief Resident Award, Queens Hospital Center Woman of the Year, Elmhurst Hospital Center Extraordinary Woman of Today, Queens Courier Lifetime Achievement Award, Icahn School of Medicine Sidney Druce M.D. Award, and the Icahn School of Medicine Jacobi Medallion 2015. In addition, Dr. Moshirpur plays a pivotal role in an advisory capacity for the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation.