Michael W. Gregory, MD
Chairman
Today, eight years after Dr. Michael Gregory, and nine other physicians, put on an Apogee lab coat and began seeing patients, Dr. Gregory continues to distinguish himself not only as an effective businessman, but also as a leader in the world of Hospitalist medicine.
Dr. Gregory received his medical degree from the University of Texas in 1993 and completed his general surgery residency in 1998 at Maricopa Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona. During his third year of surgery residency Dr. Gregory founded American Physicians, Inc. (API), which under his leadership grew into the largest Hospitalist group in Arizona.
In 2002, on the heels of his API success, Dr. Gregory founded Apogee Physicians based on the vision that “what’s best for the patient is best for the practice.” “It wasn’t until we, the physicians, were in control of the practice that I felt our vision could become a reality.”
Apogee’s original business plan ended with 22 doctors in two local hospitals. Over the last eight years, it has grown to over 350 physicians and nurse practitioners in 26 states and more than 60 hospitals across the country. When asked what has fueled Apogee’s explosive growth Dr. Gregory replies, “Our growth has never been driven by a desire to be bigger. It has been driven by the understanding that if we do not create opportunities for our star talent, our competition will. Growth creates opportunity, and great people crave opportunity.”
Throughout his life, Dr. Gregory has maintained an impassioned commitment not only to the healthcare industry but also to social issues and philanthropic efforts. Apogee currently provides more than eleven million dollars a year in free healthcare to underprivileged patients. In an effort to give back to the profession that has given so much to it, Apogee grants a full ride scholarship to one outstanding medical student each year at the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix. The Apogee Scholarship program is the first and only full ride scholarship to Medical School in the history of Arizona.
Steve G. Cervi-Skinner, MD
Chief Medical Officer
As an Apogee founder, Steven Cervi-Skinner has been instrumental in Apogee's success since he saw the very first Apogee patient in early 2002. He began his career with Apogee as the Program Director of our first program, Valley Lutheran Hospital. After two years with the group Dr. Cervi-Skinner was promoted to Chief Medical Officer. In this role he has implemented processes and programs that have shaped the group into what it is today - the country's largest physician owned, physician led, Hospitalist group.
Along with Apogee chairman, Dr. Michael Gregory, Dr. Cervi-Skinner has worked to define just what Apogee would be. He's playing a major part in the development of Apogee University, our training and orientation process that each physician goes through to ensure they have the tools they need to provide the best, most effective care to every patient, every time. Dr. Cervi-Skinner realized that most physician practices blindly promote their best physicians into a management role. However, he also knew that "the best player, is rarely the best coach" and that "physicians respond to leadership, not management." He then founded Apogee's quarterly Program Directorship Leadership Summits, where Apogee's physician leadership gather four times a year to promote and refine their leadership skills.
Dr. Cervi-Skinner has always believed that Apogee's greatest strengths and most important assets are our physician talent. He is passionate that "for Apogee to realize its potential and fulfill its vision, Apogee must be the best place for the best Hospitalists in the world to call home." This has led Dr. Cervi-Skinner to create and lead our most important department, Physician Relations. His department has the single task of making sure our physicians have the best possible experience as they evaluate opportunities with Apogee. His department has become so successful that Apogee is probably the only national Hospitalist group in the country with more candidates than available positions.
Michael P. O'Connor, MD
Chief of Clinical Operations
As Chief of Clinical Operations, Dr. Michael P. O'Connor is responsible for guiding the activities of our 350-member physician group practice in more than 60 hospitals across the United States. These activities include providing education and development programs for all new Apogee physicians and Apogee Program Directors. He also provides support for, and oversees the activities of, the Apogee Program Directors, who manage the day-to-day operations of Apogee's Hospitalist programs. As one of the executive leaders for Apogee Physicians, he is actively involved in the planning of clinical operations for all Apogee hospitlalist programs in collaboration with our hospital partners.
Dr. O'Connor obtained his Medical Degree at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson. After finishing first in his graduating class, he completed his residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Arizona Affiliated Hospitals. He spent one year as the Chief Medical Resident at the University of Arizona Affiliated Hospitals, 11 years in private practice in Internal Medicine, and practiced Emergency Medicine for three years prior to becoming the Vice President of Medical Affairs for a community hospital.
Dr. O'Connor has held many leadership positions including serving as a hospital and a healthcare system Board Member, Chief of Staff, Chair of the Credentials Committee, Chairman of the Quality Assurance and Utilization Review Committee prior to his six and a half year tenure as the Vice President of Medical Affairs for a community hospital. During this time, he implemented a risk management program, hospital safety plan, accreditation readiness process, hospital ethics committee, a service recovery program, a formal grievance process and restructured the Quality and Discharge Planning Departments. In addition, he managed the day-to-day functions of the Emergency, Case Management and Quality Departments, Medical Staff Services, and the Hospitalist program. Dr. O'Connor was also responsible for the contractual relationship with Radiology and Anesthesiology Services.
Kirk A. Butler, MD
Chief of Program Financial Performance
As a physician-founder, Kirk Butler has been with the group since its inception in early 2002. Like almost all of our leadership, Dr. Butler began his career with Apogee working as a practicing Hospitalist. After only two years, he was promoted to run a small division of the group that focused on value-based, instead of fee-based, compensation for hospitalized patients. Under his leadership, this team grew to cover all of Maricopa and Pima counties, basically Phoenix and Tucson. Due to conditions far beyond his control, the climate for results based care was minimized and his team was faced with the need to downsize. Through this reorganization, Dr. Butler lost only a handful of physicians and, despite very rapidly changing conditions, not one doctor missed a single paycheck nor, was at anytime, without a job.
In October 2007 Dr. Butler implemented the Apogee Physicians Travel Team. This is a group of the company's finest physicians who travel throughout the country primarily to supplement permanent staffing while new programs are being implemented. Dr. Butler’s experience and success with the Travel Team led to his promotion to Apogee’s Chief of Clinical Staffing and Implementation in March of 2008. He is charged with making sure each of Apogee's programs have the resources they need to effectively serve our patients. As part of his responsibilities, Dr. Butler oversees design and implementation of all new Apogee Hospitalist programs around the country. Dr. Butler brings his experience from over 80 hospitals to each new client and scenario, and has become a nationally renowned leader in the area of physician staffing.
Karen J. Harwell, CPA
Chief Financial Officer
Joining Apogee in the fall of 2004, Karen Harwell first oversaw the design and development of a new accounting infrastructure, providing timely financial information to the executive leadership team. During her tenure, these systems enhanced Apogee’s efficient growth of over 400% where they now serve more than 60 hospitals in 26 states.
As the Chief Financial Officer of Apogee Physicians, she is responsible for accounting, tax, contracts and benefits administration for the Apogee family.
Apogee’s mission is to provide the best care to patients, the best home to physicians and the most value to partner hospitals. It is Karen’s responsibility to ensure Apogee continues to provide the best Hospitalist programs across the country in a financially sustainable manner.
Ms. Harwell holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Northern Arizona University and prior to joining Apogee she served as the Chief Accounting Officer for Bionutrics, Inc. (BNRX), a nutraceutical company, and had served as the Executive Director of the Arizona Lions Eye and Tissue Bank, the then third largest eye bank in the United States.
Kevin Gregory, MBA
Chief Information Officer
Kevin Gregory was recruited to Apogee in 2006 to implement the next phase in its information and infrastructure systems. Within his first year, Mr. Gregory created an entirely new enterprise level information system. Known as ICE, Apogee's new information infrastructure provides industry leading features offered by no other Hospitalist company. Mr. Gregory's role includes oversight of Apogee's second largest department, Patient Information Coordination.
Mr. Gregory received his MBA from Southern Methodist University in 1993. He subsequently founded a software consulting firm that counted Fujitsu/ICL, American Airlines, and Turner Private Networks among its largest clients. Mr. Gregory moved into the health care space in 2003 when he became Chief Technology Officer of Smaart Medical Systems, a PACS company. Mr. Gregory developed the image transmittal and management technology including a de-centralized, global image management network, responsible for transmitting over 1 Terabtye of data each day.
