CCI ANESTHESIA - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Leadership Team
- President
Alex Gorecki has over 25 years of senior-level experience providing management and consulting services to privately held and publicly traded corporations and healthcare systems nationwide. He specializes in improving the operational and financial performance of complex and diversified organizations.
Before joining CCI Anesthesia, Alex worked with multiple national consulting firms where he specialized in the professional development of senior leaders, process improvement, integrating new technologies, and improving employee engagement. Alex also led the national business development division of a $650 million multi-specialty practice management organization that partnered with 325 hospitals in 38 states.
He earned an MBA concentrated in Marketing and Economics from the University of West Florida and a Bachelor's degree in Finance from Tulane University in Louisiana.
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President / Operations
- Healthcare Operations Leader
Bianca Kamps, a healthcare operations leader based in Dallas, TX, brings over a decade of experience. As Vice President of Operations for CCI Anesthesia, she excels in strategy, policy, and fostering a culture of quality and efficiency. With a background in Emergency Medicine and Behavioral Therapy practice management, Bianca has a proven track record of implementing telehealth programs and streamlining contracts. Her professional affiliations include EDPMA, Lambda Delta Honor Society, and the Women Business Leaders of the U.S. Health Care Industry Foundation (WBL). In her free time, she enjoys international travel and competitive tennis. Bianca is a valuable asset to healthcare operations. Bianca received her Bachelor's degree from Georgia State University.
Job Titles:
- Anesthesia Practice Manager
Dr. Schmutzler has a diverse background, training in anesthesiology, neuropharmacology, and acupuncture. Dr. Schmutzler received his medical degree and PhD from Indiana University School of Medicine. He completed an internship at St. Vincent Hospital and Health System in Indianapolis and an anesthesia residency at Indiana University School of Medicine, with a special emphasis on regional anesthesia and ambulatory anesthesia. Dr. Schmutzler is the Chief Anesthesiologist in Mishawaka, Indiana and Regional Medical Officer for Central Indiana and Michigan with CCI Anesthesia. Currently, Dr. Schmutzler actively practices anesthesiology and acupuncture in Indiana and Michigan.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Clinical Affairs
Dr. Charles Trentham has more than 20 years of clinical and managerial experience in anesthesia services and is board certified in both Anesthesiology and Pediatrics.
Dr. Trentham has extensive leadership experience serving as Chief Anesthesiologist and Medical Director at several hospitals during the past 15 years. He completed a Fellowship in Pediatric Anesthesiology at The Children's Hospital in Denver, Colorado, an Anesthesia Residency at the University of Florida, and a Pediatric Residency at the University of Colorado.
He earned a Doctor of Medicine, a Bachelor in Cell Biology and an MBA from the University of Tennessee.
Dr. Trentham also served for 10 years in the United States Army Reserve.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Revenue Cycle Management Team
- Payroll Administrator
Christie Buchholz has over 18 years of experience in healthcare-related services, including business development and anesthesia provider recruitment. Since joining the company in 2015, Christie has become an expert in recruiting Anesthesiologists and CRNAs for permanent and locum tenens positions. As Vice President, Staffing and Recruitment, Christie utilizes her strong organizational and interpersonal skills in providing leadership for CCI's recruitment and staffing services. With a focus on leadership and accountability, she has guided the expansion of the recruitment and staffing team to support CCI's current and future clients successfully. Christie and her team work collaboratively with the Regional Director of Operations and the Medical Staff Services team, and they are integral to the success of CCI.
Christie received her certificate of Sonography from The Florida Institute of Ultrasound and is pursuing her Bachelor's degree in Health Sciences at the University of West Florida in Pensacola, FL.
Job Titles:
- Accountant
- Finance
- Member of the Revenue Cycle Management Team
Job Titles:
- Regional Practice Manager
Job Titles:
- Member of the Revenue Cycle Management Team
Job Titles:
- Senior Executive
- Vice President Marketing
Doug Simpler is an award-winning senior executive with over 20 years of marketing leadership experience. With a unique blend of business acumen, marketing expertise, and creativity, he has successfully directed strategic marketing initiatives, enhanced brand awareness and boosted revenue across multiple sectors, including healthcare, exhibit planning and design, real estate, and manufacturing.
With prior marketing leadership roles at TeamHealth and Envision Healthcare, he is skilled in strategic marketing, creative strategy, marketing communications, brand management, campaign development and omnichannel marketing. He is also known for his exceptional leadership skills and ability to develop high-performance teams.
He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Marketing Management from Western Governors University.
Job Titles:
- Clinical Anesthesiologist
- Regional Medical Officer
Dr. Jeremiah Ashe, a seasoned clinical anesthesiologist with over eight years of experience, has held key leadership positions, including Chief Anesthesiologist and Medical Staff President. He completed his RUSH University Medical Center internship and pursued residency at Indiana University School of Medicine. Currently serving as the Medical Director of Anesthesia at Marion Health in Marion, Indiana, Dr. Ashe oversees anesthesia services, ensuring top-tier patient care. His influence extends as the Regional Medical Officer responsible for multiple hospitals and surgery centers across Indiana and Ohio. Dr. Ashe is recognized for his clinical prowess, leadership abilities, and dedication to advancing healthcare practices. In his multifaceted role, he not only shapes the future of anesthesiology but also contributes to the development of best practices, setting a standard for excellence in the medical community.
Job Titles:
- Nurse Anesthetist
- Regional Clinical Officer
Dr. Scarlett Hinson has been a practicing nurse anesthetist for almost two decades. She obtained her MSN and DNP from Rush University. Her clinical experience has been highlighted by her tenure as program director for two Nurse Anesthesia programs, research and active involvement with curriculum/doctoral standards development within the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA) and the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA). Dr. Hinson has had the honor of serving as the appointed Chair of the Education Committee and Continuing Education Committee for the AANA, Board of Directors for the Florida Association of Nurse Anesthetists and founding administrator of the Florida State University Nurse Anesthesia Program. Her interests include anesthetic neurotoxicity in extremes of age.
Job Titles:
- Anesthesiologist With a Doctor of Osteopathy
- Vice President of Clinical Innovation and Implementation
Dr. Sonia Shishido, an anesthesiologist with a Doctor of Osteopathy from Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, completed her Anesthesiology residency at the University of Utah, where she served as Chief Resident. She pursued a Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology fellowship at the University of Washington and is board-certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology.
Based at Adventist Health Columbia Gorge, Dr. Shishido served as Chief of Anesthesiology from 2021 to 2023. As the Vice President of Clinical Innovation and Implementation at CCI Anesthesia, she plays a vital role in shaping the future of anesthesiology practice.
Passionate about education, process improvement, and service, Dr. Shishido has been actively involved in committees and volunteer projects, receiving awards for her teaching contributions. Dr. Shishido emphasizes the impact of "how we do" in anesthesiology, believing education is key to positive practice evolution. She seeks to connect providers with meaningful education, fostering positive changes that contribute to professional respect and provider well-being.
Edna Slater has over 30 years of experience working in Healthcare RCM with multiple specialties. Prior to joining CCI as a Revenue Cycle Management Consultant in 2018 and as an employee in 2020, she was a Vice President of Billing Operations for a large national physician management company, billing for over $14 million in Emergency Department visits and $2 million in Hospitalist Encounters. As Vice President, she successfully led the billing operations during a time of significant growth, managing over 1000 FTEs locally and internationally. She was responsible for over $3 billion in accounts receivable. Edna holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Villanova.
Job Titles:
- Vice President Operations
- Associate Vice President of Operations
Emily Van Ryn is a dedicated healthcare professional with a wealth of experience spanning 19 years, 13 of which were spent in leadership roles. Her journey in healthcare began on the front lines, where she served as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), gaining invaluable clinical experience and a deep understanding of patient care.
Over the years, Emily's commitment to improving healthcare systems and processes earned her the prestigious Lean/Six Sigma Black Belt certification. This certification is a testament to her expertise in optimizing operations and enhancing patient care through process improvement and efficiency.
Emily serves as Associate Vice President of Operations for CCI Anesthesia, where her leadership skills and clinical background combine to make her a vital asset. Her dedication to advancing healthcare, improving patient outcomes, and leading teams focused on quality and efficiency is unwavering. Emily's journey reflects her commitment to excellence in healthcare and a vision for continuous improvement.
Job Titles:
- Anesthesia Practice Manager
Job Titles:
- Member of the Revenue Cycle Management Team
- Senior Vice President Human Resources, Contracts
- Senior Vice President Human Resources, Contracts & Recruiting
Jane Whalen has more than 25 years of practice management experience concentrated in anesthesia, hospitalist and emergency medicine services.
Prior to joining CCI Anesthesia, Jane served as Regional Chief Operating Officer for an 11 state region in a national practice management company, where she had operational and financial management responsibilities for clinical practices in more than 30 hospitals representing over $75 million in revenue. Her experience also includes operational and financial management responsibilities for a physician-owned practice management start-up company.
Jane earned an MBA from St. Joseph University in Pennsylvania and a Bachelor's degree from Rutgers University in New Jersey.
Job Titles:
- Regional Clinical Officer
Janet Isaacs is a Regional Clinical Officer at CCI Anesthesia. She is responsible for restructuring and administering existing anesthesia departments, including crisis management, developing new anesthesia departments and integrating them with existing medical center operations, and providing clinical leadership for anesthesia providers contracted to CCI Anesthesia.
Janet has over two decades of leadership experience in various clinical settings delivering anesthesia services and improving patient care, including developing and leading a nurse anesthesia team for a pediatric heart center. She is also an experienced locum tenens anesthesia provider at hospitals throughout the United States, working for CCI Anesthesia in previous years.
Prior to joining CCI Anesthesia full-time in 2021, Janet was Director of Anesthesia Services at a critical access hospital in Montana, where she led the growth of the anesthesia department and a new surgical unit while providing full anesthesia coverage to the critical access medical center.
Janet earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing, magna cum laude, and a Master of Nursing Degree with Specialty in Nurse Anesthesia from Old Dominion University; has completed specialized continuing education courses; and holds numerous licenses, certifications and professional affiliations.
Janet has volunteered her expertise and time to Operation Smile, a nonprofit medical service organization, where she joined missions to Nicaragua.
Job Titles:
- Practice Improvement Specialist
Job Titles:
- Regional Director / Operations
With over 30 years of clinical and business experience, Robbie Thomas, MD, MBA, serves as the New Mexico Regional Medical Officer. His current clinical practice is based in an ambulatory surgery center, where he serves as co-medical director. His past clinical practice included high acuity areas, including adult and pediatric cardiac anesthesia. He began his work with CCI in 2017 as Anesthesia Director in Taos, New Mexico. He brings experience in hospital-based physician leadership, having served on medical executive committees in both large tertiary care medical centers and rural critical access hospitals. He directed the business office for an 80 physician independent anesthesia group.
Dr. Thomas's medical training includes a pediatric anesthesia fellowship in Seattle, Washington; anesthesia residency in Little Rock, Arkansas and medical school in Shreveport, Louisiana. Along the way, he obtained a healthcare MBA Degree in Irvine, California.
Job Titles:
- Vice President Operations
Julie Govic has over 20 years of experience in health care, concentrated in Urgent Care and Emergency Medicine. She also has 6-years of experience working with a nationwide law firm. Prior to joining CCI Anesthesia, Julie worked for West Virginia University Hospital, West Virginia's largest hospital and Trauma center, where she was responsible for opening a new Urgent Care center from the ground up and was also responsible for all aspects related to the business operations. Julie received certification through the Urgent Care Association of America as a Certified Urgent Care Manager and obtained an Executive Leadership for Healthcare professional certificate from Cornell University. Julie graduated from Fairmont State University.
Job Titles:
- Coordinator / Medical Staff Services
Job Titles:
- Vice President Operations
Kelly Mumford, RN, BSN, MBA, Vice President of Operations, has 20 years of experience in healthcare, including leadership roles in anesthesia, surgical quality, women's health, home care and acute care in a hospital setting. In addition, she has served in multiple leadership roles for national anesthesia-specific organizations, including financial and operational responsibility for a multi-state region with $2 billion in revenue. Before anesthesia operational leadership, she worked as a quality manager for an anesthesia group for several years, helping to introduce, develop and refine quality systems and reporting. Kelly earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Missouri - St. Louis and an MBA from Fontbonne University.
Kiernan Zumwalt has a wealth of experience at CCI Anesthesia. Starting as a Business Development Manager in 2018, he quickly rose through the ranks, becoming the Director of the Business Development team in 2020. In 2021, he took on the role of Regional Director of Operations, managing anesthesia practices across multiple states. Currently, as Vice President of Client Services, Kiernan's focus is on enhancing service to hospital clients and providers while supporting sales efforts. His journey at CCI Anesthesia demonstrates his dedication and expertise in the field. Kiernan has a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Xavier University.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Revenue Cycle Management Team
- Revenue Cycle Analyst / Finance / Human Resources
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Founder
- Member of the Executive Leadership Team
Kurt Zumwalt has more than 30 years of practice management experience concentrated in anesthesia, hospitalist, radiology and emergency medicine services.
Prior to founding CCI Anesthesia, Kurt was Vice President of Practice Development for a national practice management organization where he successfully created cost-effective, service-focused partnerships with hospitals ranging from large academic medical centers to rural, community-based hospitals. He also served as Regional Manager for a national practice management group where he had operational responsibilities for clinical practices at 40 hospitals in a region of 11 states.
He is an American College of Healthcare Executives member and earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Towson University in Maryland.
Kurt Zumwalt, Chief Executive Officer at CCI Anesthesia, is proud of his family's distinguished military history. Kurt's father served in the U.S. Marine Corps, enlisting as a private and retiring as a colonel, while his brother followed in his father's footsteps going from enlisted to an officer, ultimately retiring as a captain in the U.S. Navy.
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Member of the Executive Leadership Team
- President and Public Policy Chair for the Maryland Association of Community Services
Martha Brown has over 20 years of leadership experience in fiscal and operational management. She served as Executive Director for a nonprofit organization serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and has held other leadership roles in the areas of public policy work at the county, state and national levels, with additional work in program development, strategic planning and implementation.
Mrs. Brown has served as the President and Public Policy Chair for the Maryland Association of Community Services and as a member of several Maryland advisory groups dedicated to strengthening the support for people living with disabilities.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Saint Louis University.
Job Titles:
- Regional Director / Operations
Job Titles:
- Regional Clinical Officer
Nancy Whitson has joined CCI Anesthesia as a Regional Clinical Officer.
Nancy has practiced anesthesia in Kansas as a CRNA since 2002. One of her placements was with CCI as the Chief Anesthetist at Western Plains Regional Medical Center in Dodge City, KS, from 2012 through 2019. In her role with CCI, she will continue to be a working CRNA, even as she collaborates with healthcare facilities and anesthesia providers.
Nancy had recently finished 17 years of service with the Kansas Association of Nurse Anesthetists, serving as KANA's President from 2008-2009. Her work with the association has allowed her to collaborate with hospitals, anesthetists, and professional associations across Kansas.
She has also been active in the political process on the state and federal levels. Nancy has worked with many legislators as an advocate for the anesthesia profession, especially the support of Kansas Nurse Anesthetists and their right to practice independently.
Nancy is looking forward to continuing her connection to anesthetists and student anesthetists and will be happy to help them start or enhance their careers as part of the CCI team.
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President
- Executive Vice President, Operations
Nathan Yoder has nearly 25 years of experience in anesthesia, radiology, hospitalist and emergency medicine services. He has served in leadership roles for several healthcare companies in process management, business development, credentialing, risk management, recruitment, staffing, CRM development and operations.
Nathan has managed recruitment and staffing services for national practice management companies, physician practices, hospitals and recruiting companies nationwide. He has also served on the Board of Directors of several national organizations.
Nathan earned a Bachelor's degree from Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas.
Job Titles:
- Coordinator / Recruitment & QGenda
Job Titles:
- Coordinator / Human Resources
Job Titles:
- Director
- Finance
- Member of the Revenue Cycle Management Team
Job Titles:
- Director / Quality & Clinical Informatics
Job Titles:
- Regional Director / Operations
Job Titles:
- Medical Staff Coordinator
Dr. Dorman has over 30 years of experience in anesthesia leadership, hospital accreditation, CMS compliance, quality management and patient safety.
Dr. Dorman has extensive experience serving as a Surveyor for the Joint Commission, hospital accreditation consultant, CMS consultant, Chief of Anesthesia, hospital board member and Director of Respiratory Care. Dr. Dorman also served honorably for a decade in the U.S. Navy.
Dr. Dorman completed his undergraduate degree at Duke University, earned his Medical Degree at the University of North Carolina and completed his anesthesia residency at the Naval Regional Medical Center in Oakland, CA.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Revenue Cycle Management Team
- Accounting Administrator
Job Titles:
- Regional Director / Operations
Job Titles:
- Anesthesia Practice Manager
Job Titles:
- Regional Director / Operations
Job Titles:
- Director / Special Projects