About VEP Healthcare

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VEP understands that our patients deserve expert medical care delivered with efficiency and compassion. We also understand that our physicians and advanced practice providers deserve to work within a high-quality organization that puts a premium on the success of their careers as well as their physical and emotional well-being. We exist to deliver quality, compassionate healthcare to those in need, within a culture supportive of our healthcare providers and to be recognized as the premier provider of health services in emergent and inpatient settings.

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

VEP Healthcare (VEP) began providing emergency medical management services in 1981. In the years since, our expertise has expanded into hospitalist services, intensive care, clinical decision units, OB laborist and telehealth services. Today, the owners of VEP – our physicians, advanced practice clinicians, and corporate personnel – deliver clinical staffing and management services to major urban, smaller community, and rural hospitals nationwide. Our partner hospitals call our positive impact on quality, efficiency, and patient satisfaction “the VEP Effect.”

View Leadership

Steve Maron, MD – President and CEO

Steve Maron, MD, joined VEP in 1990. As President and CEO, Dr. Maron establishes the vision of excellence for VEP and oversees all aspects of the management and growth of our emergency departments and hospitalist programs. Dr. Maron continues to work as a frontline physician in several VEP emergency departments.

Dr. Maron earned his BA at the University of California at Davis and his MD at Hahnemann School of Medicine in Philadelphia. He designed and taught a course in Wilderness Medicine. Before assuming the VEP presidency in 2001, he served as an emergency physician at several VEP hospitals and provided medical care through Doctors Without Borders in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ghana, West Africa, and Nicaragua.

Doctor Mitesh Patel, MD, MBA, FACHE, CPE – Chief Operations Officer

Prior to joining VEP Healthcare, Dr. Patel served as the Vice President of Medical Affairs at Woodland Memorial Hospital since 2014, and brings with him more than 20 years of diverse healthcare operations management, teaching, and clinical experience. Areas of expertise include physician relations, process improvement, and staff development.

He also served as the Vice President of Operations and Chief Medical Officer for the NorthBay Hospital and Vaca Valley Hospital, part of the NorthBay Health Care Group in Solano County.

Dr. Patel received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Biochemistry from University of California, Berkeley. He received his medical degree from University of Health Sciences/the Chicago Medical School; and completed his Emergency Medicine Residency at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Patel also holds a Master of Business Administration/Health Care Management from University of Phoenix. In addition to being board-certified in emergency medicine, he is also a certified physician executive and a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Dr. Patel’s oversight responsibilities include: operations management, business development, marketing, strategic planning, and program development, legal and corporate counsel, and new clinical service offerings. He will also help provide contract start-up support and assist with driving performance at VEP’s sites. Dr. Patel enjoys books on tape, travel, and golf.

Doctor Rob Wyman, MD – Chief Quality Officer

Dr. Robert Wyman joined VEP in 2008. As Vice President of Quality, Dr. Wyman oversaw clinical quality, patient safety, operational efficiency, patient satisfaction, and regulatory compliance at all VEP emergency departments. In 2018, Dr. Wyman took on the role of Chief Quality Officer.

Dr. Wyman earned his BA at Boston University and his MD at New York University School (NYU) of Medicine. Before joining VEP, he worked for over 20 years in academic, urban, and suburban EDs in the New York metropolitan area. He has been an ED Director for a total of 14 years at several EDs including Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, NY, and an EMS Medical Director for almost a decade.

More recently, Dr. Wyman earned a Master’s in Management in the Advanced Management Program for Clinicians at NYU. He also is a Certified Physician Executive and is certified in Health Care Quality Management. In addition, he has served on the executive teams of several hospitals, both as a Vice President of Patient Safety and a Chief Medical Officer.

Dr. Wyman’s vision for VEP Healthcare is to ensure that all of our emergency departments combine highly capable providers, evidence-based practices, and essential systems for the provision of safe, high-quality medical care and that we have the data to demonstrate it.

Doctor Marc Hudock, PA-C – Vice President of Clinical Operations

Marc Hudock joined VEP in 2001. He was raised in the Sacramento area and now lives in Folsom, California. Mr. Hudock graduated from University of Nevada, Reno, in 1997 with a Bachelors in Health Science Pre-Medicine with a minor in Biology. He subsequently received his certificate in Physician Assistant Studies from Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California, in 2001. Mr. Hudock has served as Allied Health Site Director at several facilities for VEP including Woodland Healthcare, Dameron Hospital Association, and currently at Sutter Solano Medical Center in Vallejo, California, where he has been key in implementing new processes to improve patient flow and patient care. Mr. Hudock’s strengths include operations support, new contract, and program development. He frequently travels to many facilities with the VEP family of hospitals to work with the local physicians and APC’s on a variety of patient care topics. He was Chief Allied Health Officer for VEP for over eight years and has been largely responsible for the growth of the advanced practice clinician role within VEP Healthcare.

Doctor Kelly Danna – Chief Financial Officer

Kelly Danna joined VEP in 2016 as Interim Corporate Controller and advanced to Chief Financial Officer in 2017.

Kelly came to VEP from Sutter Health Medical Foundation with a fascinating background in positions such as Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Executive Officer.

She earned her Bachelors in Business Administration with an accounting concentration from California Polytechnic State University and then went to school for a Master’s in Business at Golden Gate University in San Francisco.

In addition to her extensive experience in finance and accounting, Kelly works in real estate as a Broker Associate.

Doctor Gary Tamkin, MD, FACEP – Vice President of Provider Development

Dr. Gary Tamkin joined VEP in 2004 as the ED Medical Director of two EDs, Mercy Medical Center Merced and Emanuel Medical Center. Dr. Tamkin received his Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health from Brown University, and his MD from the University of California, Irvine. He completed his emergency medicine residency at the Alameda County Highland program of the University of California, San Francisco, where he served as Chief Resident and where he met his wife, Sandy, who also practices emergency medicine. Dr. Tamkin is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine. He lectures nationally and continues to teach emergency medicine at Highland Emergency Medicine.

Dr. Tamkin has a passion for pre-hospital care, having served as the Bay Area Medical Director of American Medical Response. Currently, he is the statewide Medical Director for the California Highway Patrol. He is also a past president of the California chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians. Dr. Tamkin and Sandy live in the San Francisco area with their two children, Emily and Megan.

Doctor Harneet Singh Bath, MD, MBA, FACP – Vice President of Inpatient Services

Dr. Harneet Bath is responsible for all Hospitalists and Intensivists throughout the VEP Healthcare system. Dr. Bath is board certified in internal medicine and has been a practicing physician for more than 15 years. In addition to serving as VP of Inpatient Services for VEP Healthcare, he was the Vice President/Chief Medical Officer at Saint Anthony Medical Center in Rockford, Illinois. Dr. Bath also has experience with hospitals of various sizes (large trauma center to critical care access), multi-site and multi-specialty physician practices, rural health centers, and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs).

Dr. Bath is an experienced executive physician leader. His adaptive leadership, financial acumen, operations management, change management, and strong interpersonal relationships have enabled Dr. Bath to consistently succeed in achieving the “quadruple aim” of improving quality, improving both the patient and physician experience, and reducing the cost of care.

In his free time enjoys traveling, hiking, skydiving, and winemaking.

Patricia Peña Sam – Vice President of Provider Services & Marketing

Patricia Peña Sam originally joined VEP in 2004 when our corporate staff could be counted on one hand! She began as a credentialer and assistant to the Vice President. After the recruiter left, Patricia picked up those duties as well. She demonstrated a flair for recruiting which led to her becoming a senior recruiter who mentored new staff. She also became a walking encyclopedia of all things VEP due to her longevity with the group.

After a short stint in 2014 as a senior recruiter with TeamHealth, Patricia returned in 2016 as the Director of Provider Services and Staffing and was promoted to Vice President of Provider Services & Marketing in 2019. She leads the national recruiting, credentialing and scheduling departments for all service lines, is a key player on our contract start-up management team and oversees our marketing efforts.

Patricia earned her BA in International Studies, with an emphasis in business and communications, at California State University, Hayward and is currently pursuing her MBA at St. Mary’s College of California. She lives in California wine country where she enjoys hiking, paddleboarding, kayaking, running (essentially any workout that will take her outdoors), cooking (and eating), discovering the local wineries, and cheering on the Warriors.

Quinlan Jamie Quinlan, DNP, RN – Sr. Director of Nursing & Performance Improvement

Jamie will work with the executive leadership and individual medical directors to identify areas of opportunity for VEP Healthcare to improve operational performance at our partner hospitals. Areas of focus will include clinical quality, throughput, patient satisfaction, and overall ED and inpatient operations. Jamie will be responsible for helping to collect pre- and post-improvement activity metrics and will develop in-person relationships with key staff at the hospital with whom she will design and implement improvement processes. Jamie will also participate in various presentations as our nursing leader and champion.

Jamie has a strong background in nursing management and administration. Her most recent position was Director of Emergency Services at Tennova Healthcare, Clarksville where she developed and implemented a number of impressive systems and programs that improved the performance of the emergency department. She has a solid educational background in nursing and management with a Master of Science in Nursing from Walden University, Doctor of Nursing Practice from the University of Alabama, and Master of Business Administration from Western Governors University.

View Board of Directors

Doctor

Marc Futernick, MD – Chairman

Marc Futernick, MD, FACEP, joined VEP in 2011 as the Medical Director of Emergency Services at California Hospital Medical Center (CHMC). CHMC is a trauma center and the oldest hospital in Los Angeles. Dr. Futernick has been the Medical Director at CHMC since 2006 and worked at Santa Monica-UCLA prior to that. Dr. Futernick received his Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles, and his MD from Tulane University Medical School. He completed his emergency medicine residency at the University of California, San Francisco-Fresno. Dr. Futernick serves on the Board of Directors of the California Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians. His current focus is to improve the quality of care given to patients with psychiatric emergencies. He lives in Pasadena with his wife, Christy, and his two teenage sons, Ben and Matthew.

Doctor Justin Chatten-Brown, MD – Board Member

Dr. Justin Chatten-Brown serves as a Board Member on VEP Healthcare’s Board of Directors and is an Emergency Physician and ER Medical Director at Woodland Healthcare in Woodland, California.

Dr. Chatten-Brown graduated from the Vassar College in New York and subsequently attended USC Keck School of Medicine in Los Angeles, California. After completing his medical education, Dr. Chatten-Brown completed a family practice residency at the Contra Costa Regional Medical Center in Martinez, California.

Doctor Walid Ghurabi, DO – Ex Officio Member

Dr. Wally Ghurabi is Medical Director of the Nethercutt Emergency Center at UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica, a position he has held since 1981. He also serves as Medical Director of the Santa Monica Fire and Police Departments and trains paramedics and other “first responders” on various aspects of emergency medicine, including pre-hospital care.

Dr. Ghurabi has been at the heart of the hospital’s response to several major disasters, including the Northridge earthquake in 1994, the Farmer’s Market tragedy in 2003, and the Santa Monica shootings in 2013. He directed activities at the Nethercutt Emergency Center, where victims from these incidents were taken for treatment.

In addition to overseeing emergency services at UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica, and advising Santa Monica fire and police personnel on medical issues, Dr. Ghurabi co-chairs UCLA Health’s Emergency Management Steering Committee and serves on numerous other committees. He also is a member of both the hospital’s and health system’s Board of Advisors.

A fellow in the American College of Emergency Physicians, Dr. Ghurabi completed his training and residency in emergency medicine at Michigan State University before coming to California in 1980. During his illustrious career in emergency medicine, Dr. Ghurabi has cared for tens of thousands of people needing emergency services and has helped save countless lives.

He also has trained hundreds of resident physicians and paramedics, who, in turn, have put those lifesaving skills into practice to help others. Dr. Ghurabi is a recipient of the American Red Cross of Santa Monica’s “Spirit Award” for his work in promoting emergency preparedness, educating fire and police personnel, and taking care of the Santa Monica community.

For Dr. Ghurabi, medicine is both a passion and a family affair. His wife, Hilda, and his daughter, Tamar, are nurses, while his daughter, Micheline, is an emergency physician in Orange County and his son, Raffi, is completing his residency at Pacific Hospital in Long Beach.

Doctor Larry Halem, MD – Board Member

Dr. Larry Halem joined VEP in 2007 as the Associate Medical Director of Santa Monica UCLA. He also serves as the Associate Medical Director of Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital since the grand re-opening in 2015. Furthermore, Dr. Halem serves as Regional Productivity Director for VEP, working with providers and the billing companies to improve documentation and coding.

Dr. Larry Halem grew up in Thousand Oaks, California. He graduated with a Bachelors degree in Biomedical Sciences from the University of California, Riverside, and earned his medical degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. He completed his emergency medicine residency at Harbor UCLA in Torrance, California. Dr. Halem lives in Manhattan Beach with his wife and two children, Max and Elle.

Doctor Adin Levine, MD – Board Member

Dr. Adin Levine joined VEP in 1986 shortly after completion of his internship at UCSF/SFGH Family Practice Residency program. He modified his residency path to accommodate working in the ED, graduating from residency in 1989. He is now double boarded in Family Practice and Emergency Medicine.

At VEP, Dr. Levine has served in multiple clinic and corporate positions. He has been medical director at several sites, most recently in Stockton at Dameron Hospital, where he also served as Chief of Staff. At the corporate level, Dr. Levine served as regional director as well as company VP and CFO. He has also served on the BOD almost continuously since 2000.

Dr. Levine attended the Universities of California and London, and went to medical school at UCSF. He lives in Berkeley with his wife, Ella, the founder of a non-profit of a Math School, and their youngest, Benjamin. Three older kids have spread themselves around the world and still come home occasionally.

Doctor Shayne Smith – Board Member

Having stepped away from a full-time corporate career of almost 30 years, Shayne now seeks to spend his time working with executive teams in for-profit and not-for-profit businesses – helping them to fulfill their growth aspirations and achieve their vision.

Shayne believes that true fulfillment comes with developing and working with highly effective teams that are passionate about what they do, but are willing to undertake the difficult and challenging decisions that maximize performance. Welcoming diversity, seeking to understand stakeholder perspectives, sharing the benefits of success, and being authentic, are leadership traits that he values and tries to inspire in others.

Shayne is active within the business community and serves on various non-profit boards. He is currently Chairman of the Board of Directors of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) Canada (since 2008), serves as a member of EWB-USA’s Corporate Leadership Council, and is actively supporting the reformation of EWB-International. Past roles include serving on the board of directors of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce (2009-2011), and Chair of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce board (for Canada’s largest province 2008/2009). Prior to that, positions also included membership on the Conference Board of Canada’s Innovation Council and on the University of Ontario Institute for Technology’s Industry Liaison Committee.

Shayne received a B.A.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Waterloo in 1988 and is a Professional Engineer in Canada. Subsequent studies include nuclear engineering programs at the University of Toronto and various management seminars at Harvard University and MIT/Sloan.

He lives in Pasadena, California with his wife Pam and teenage son Tyber. Together the family shares a passion for traveling the world. Shayne’s wife has been active in the medical field for her entire career, working as a neurosurgical intensive care nurse for 10 years, then as a consultant for pharmaceutical drug trials and related studies/conferences in the US, Canada, and internationally.

Doctor Ivan Ventura, PA-C – Board Member

Ivan Ventura is a Physician Assistant, graduating from University of California, Davis, PA program in 2003. He worked in family practice for two years and worked per diem in the emergency room where he discovered his true passion for emergency medicine and the challenges it poses. Mr. Ventura became the APC Director at Mercy Medical Center–Merced and shortly after, Regional Director of APCs, and in 2014 Chief APC Officer for VEP. In this role he has the privilege of interacting with many of VEP’s sites and assists in department flow with implementation of the Rapid Patient Management (RPM™) system, and Human Resources issues. He has participated in many contract start-ups that have now become profitable sites for VEP.

Mr. Ventura’s hobbies are swimming (when he has the opportunity!) and watching movies. He is a father of three wonderful children: Eli 9, Evan 7 and Elyse 4 (yes…they like names that start with “E”), which, along with work, give him little time to swim or watch movies!

Ivan has served two terms (now on third) in VEP’s Board of Directors. He looks forward to the learning experience and the opportunity to continue VEPs legacy of success in providing quality medical care, and continuing participation in shareholder and provider camaraderie.

Doctor Gordon J. Lee – Board Member

Gordon J. Lee is President & CEO of Princeton Credit. For more than 35 years, he has counseled and represented a variety of public, private, government, and healthcare organizations as well as corporate and individual clients, in an array of financing and advisory transactions.

For decades, Mr. Lee has served on a variety of committees and boards, including the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine for 24 years and the UCLA Hospital Systems monthly Finance/Audit, Operations, and Strategy Committee for the past 19 years. Mr. Lee is an inaugural member of the UCLA Medical Center Board of Advisors – International Services Advisory Committee. He spends a lot of time on his many healthcare startups out of UCLA and UC Berkeley with Deans, professors, and researchers. He has also served on a wide range of California public service entities, local school districts advisory committees and boards of local nonprofit organizations. In addition, he sits on the Diversity Council and the Investment Committee for VEP Healthcare.

Mr. Lee is a San Francisco native and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in finance at the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business. He is a wine enthusiast, loves to cook/foodie and enjoys working out six days a week. He lives in Venice Beach, California, and has two young adult sons.

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