Leadership - Synergy Surgicalists

Corporate Staff

Suzanne Barnette, MS

VP, Marketing and Human Resources

Suzanne Barnette, MS

Position VP, Marketing and Human Resources
Phone 888-892-7575
Email suzanneb@synergysurgicalists.com

Suzanne Barnette, MS is the Vice President, Marketing and Human Resources and brings more than 25 years of experience working in the healthcare space. Barnette served as a hospital Director of Marketing and PR and managed all levels of internal and external communication and marketing. As the Administrative Director of Medical Education, Barnette implemented new internship and residency programs and coordinated program development, accreditation, and resident/attending recruitment efforts. She also led the marketing and patient recruitment campaigns for a large chiropractic system. Working for an advertising agency, Barnette handled project management, client relationship management, and business development. Barnette’s enthusiasm and commitment to quality and customer service supports success with our facility partners and brings outstanding candidates to the team at Synergy Surgicalists.

April Mayer

VP, Recruitment

April Mayer

Position VP, Recruitment
Phone 888-892-7575
Email aprilm@synergysurgicalists.com

April Mayer is Vice President, Recruitment for Synergy Surgicalists and works closely with physician candidates nationwide. Mayer brings many years of experience as a successful manager and expert recruiting experience prior to joining Synergy Surgicalists. Mayer has served as manager of physician recruitment for a large healthcare system on the West Coast. She has worked in the physician recruitment industry since 2006, and her areas of expertise include physician recruitment, retention, and physician contracting, as well as revenue cycle and practice management. Her integrity and dedication allow her to build strong relationships with clients and physician candidates.

Ron Eison

National Director of Practice Management

Ron Eison

Position National Director of Practice Management
Phone 888-892-7575
Email rone@synergysurgicalists.com

Ron Eison is the National Director of Practice Management for Synergy Surgicalists. His role includes the implementation of billing model practices, the formation and execution of policies and procedures, staff training and development, and setting goals and objectives within the practice. Eison works directly with physician partners and the management within facilities. Eison has more than 25 years of experience in management of medical and residential care facilities in South Carolina and Virginia. This includes his time as the Clinical Director for Primary Care Associates (PCA) in Salem, Virginia. Eison holds a BS degree from the University of South Carolina.

Kristin Barney, MS

National Credentialing Specialist

Kristin Barney, MS

Position National Credentialing Specialist
Phone 888-892-7575
Email kristinb@synergysurgicalists.com

Kristin Barney, MS is the National Credentialing Specialist for Synergy Surgicalists. With a BS degree in Biology and Professional Communications and an MS degree in Organizational Management, she is responsible for supporting the executive team, surgeon partners, and hospital partnerships that are currently working with Synergy Surgicalists. Barney is dedicated to providing superior support for surgicalists as a liaison through the state, federal, and hospital credentialing processes.

Tara Skinner

National Payer Enrollment Specialist

Tara Skinner

Position National Payer Enrollment Specialist
Phone 888-892-7575
Email taras@synergysurgicalists.com

Tara Skinner is the National Payer Enrollment Specialist for Synergy Surgicalists, Inc. She holds a BA degree in Communications with an emphasis in Human Relations. Skinner is committed to providing exceptional support to the Billing Department and the Executive Team while assisting providers with payer enrollment and contracting.

Trechell Schroeder, CPC, CPMA, COSC

Director, Revenue Cycle Management

Trechell Schroeder, CPC, CPMA, COSC

Position Director, Revenue Cycle Management
Phone 888-892-7575
Email trechells@synergysurgicalists.com

Trechell Schroeder is the Director of Revenue Cycle Management for Synergy Surgicalists, Inc. Her role includes implementation of billing model practices, to include education in provider documentation improvements, correct coding and billing, charge capture, payment posting and claims follow up. Trechell works directly with providers, office managers, and the Coding and Billing staff and has more than 16 years of experience in the medical billing field. Trechell holds the following certificates from American Academy of Professional Coders: Certified Professional Coder (CPC), Certified Orthopedic Surgery Coder (COSC), Certified Professional Medical Auditor (CPMA).

Executive Leadership Team

John Campbell, MD, MBA

President & CEO

John Campbell, MD, MBA

Position President & CEO
Phone 888-892-7575
Email johnc@synergysurgicalists.com

John Campbell MD, MBA, is the President/CEO of Synergy Surgicalists, Inc. He has the vision and ability to form and lead a team of competent physicians and other staff to make this company a leader in the management of acute surgical care services. Not only is he a solid business leader, he also has had over 20 years of experience managing trauma patients.

Dr. Campbell was a founding partner of Bridger Orthopedic and Sports Medicine, P.C in Bozeman, Montana. He was instrumental in building the practice into an 11 physician, 17-provider practice, and led the development of several ancillary departments including MRI, and construction of a 40,000 sq ft facility. He was the managing partner of Bridger Orthopedic until July 2011. Dr. Campbell was past President and Chairman of the Board of Rocky Mountain Surgical Center and is the current Medical Director. He has had several other successful business ventures in his career.

Dr. Campbell received an undergraduate degree in Chemistry from Tennessee Tech University, followed by a medical degree from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine. He then completed an orthopedic residency at Carolinas Medical Center and completed a Trauma Fellowship in Chur Switzerland with the AO group. Following that, he completed a Sports Medicine Fellowship with Dr. John Feagin. He then practiced in the Salt Lake Valley with Wasatch Orthopedics and was a clinical faculty member at the University of Utah. After two years in Utah, Dr. Campbell moved to Bozeman, Montana to start Bridger Orthopedic and Sports Medicine, PC. Dr. Campbell received his MBA from the University of Tennessee.

Rand Schleusener, MD, MBA

Chief Surgical Officer

Rand Schleusener, MD, MBA

Position Chief Surgical Officer
Phone 888-892-7575
Email rands@synergysurgicalists.com

Rand Schleusener, MD, MBA, is the Chief Surgical Officer of Synergy Surgicalists, Inc. and the former President of Black Hills Orthopedic and Spine Center located in Rapid City, South Dakota. He is an orthopedic surgeon and practiced with a focus on spine surgery. Dr. Schleusener is a natural leader with the ability to keep Synergy Surgicalists, Inc. fiscally sound. He has taken care of patients in the Emergency Department for more than 20 years. This experience provides Dr. Schleusener with a unique understanding of what surgicalists experience on a daily basis.

Dr. Schleusener graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1981 after a successful career on the Cornhusker football team. After completion of medical school at the University of Nebraska, he completed residency training in Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas, Texas. This was followed by a spine surgery fellowship at State University of New York Medical Center in Syracuse, New York. Dr. Schleusener served as an assistant professor in Orthopedics at the University of Utah Medical Center for five years before leaving Salt Lake for private practice. He received his MBA from the University of Tennessee Physician Executive MBA program.

Cathy McDowell BSN, MBA

Chief Operating Officer

Cathy McDowell BSN, MBA

Position Chief Operating Officer
Phone 888-892-7575
Email cathym@synergysurgicalists.com

Cathy M. McDowell BSN, MBA, is the Chief Operating Officer for Synergy Surgicalists, Inc. She has 24 years of clinical experience with 15 years in hospital administration. Most recently, she was Vice President within Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) supervising Orthopedic, Spine, and Cardiovascular Services. McDowell is lean six-sigma trained and is responsible for oversight of facility implementation, standardization, and process management. This includes, but is not limited to, oversight of charge capture, billing and collections, order set availability and usage, customer relationship management, and goals management. She works directly with facility leadership and physicians to implement and maintain quality programming and continuously seeks to understand, meet, and exceed the customers’ needs.

Kimberly Compton, CPA

Controller

Kimberly Compton, CPA

Position Controller
Phone 888-892-7575
Email kimc@synergysurgicalists.com

Kim Compton is the Controller for Synergy Surgicalists. She has more than 12 years of experience in Healthcare Finance including Hospital and Practice Management. As a member of the Executive Team, Kim works with financial data for analyses and reporting. She ensures policy compliance and is fully integrated into the revenue cycle. Kim has completed Lean Six Sigma training and holds the following certificates: Certified Public Accountant (CPA) from the Montana Society of Certified Public Accountants, and Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) from the American Institute of CPAs.

Jayne Rasmussen

VP, Finance Operations

Jayne Rasmussen

Position VP, Finance Operations
Phone 888-892-7575
Email jayne@synergysurgicalists.com

Jayne Rasmussen is Vice President, Finance Operations for Synergy Surgicalists. Rasmussen has more than 35 years of experience in practice management, physician compensation, billing and collections, coding, accounts receivable, marketing, human resources, payer credentialing and contracting, EHRs, occupational and physical therapy, as well as all government programs to include, but not limited to, PQRS and Meaningful Use.

Dennis Wang, MD, F.A.C.S.

National Director of Acute Care Surgery

Dennis Wang, MD, F.A.C.S.

Position National Director of Acute Care Surgery
Phone 888-892-7575
Email dennisw@synergysurgicalists.com

Dennis Wang, M.D., F.A.C.S. joined Synergy Surgicalists. Inc. in September 2016 as the National Director of Acute Care Surgery. Dr. Wang brings expert training and years of experience in trauma and surgical critical care, as well as trauma program and ICU management. After receiving his degree in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University and graduate study at Northwestern University, Dennis attended medical school at Oregon Health Science University. He completed his general surgery residency at Wright State University, Ohio. He then finished a trauma surgery fellowship at Washington Hospital Center, and his trauma and surgical critical care fellowship at the University of Maryland, Shock Trauma.

Advisory Board

Thomas G. Olivo, CMC

Advisory Board Member

Thomas G. Olivo, CMC

Position Advisory Board Member
Email tolivo@healthcareps.com

Tom Olivo is the founding partner of the consulting firm, Healthcare Performance Solutions (HPS) and the President of Success Profiles, Inc. HPS was formed in 2003 and provides performance management, leadership development and executive coaching services to the healthcare industry. Success Profiles, Inc. was established in 1990 and designs and provides organizational performance measurement instruments and database management services to clients, management consulting firms and professional associations. The company specializes in performance measurement, talent management and succession planning.

In his professional career, Mr. Olivo has over 25 years of experience in identifying, measuring and comparing the “commonalities” of highly successful athletes, business leaders, and organizations. Olivo has worked in a multitude of industries with thousands of senior executives and managers emphasizing the importance of Business Analytics and Getting the Right People in the Right Roles. Success Profiles has measured the business practices of over 1,000 organizations and developed a database of performance criteria that includes over 30,000 individual business units. Tom’s work with Olympic athletes, coaches and successful business leaders led to the development of several unique diagnostic instruments that measure performance. Success Profiles’ methodology combined with a measurement framework and supporting research data prove that consistent success in business today rarely occurs by accident. In fact, there are specific predictors, hard‐wired behaviors and “evidence‐based business practices” that contribute to high performance among people and organizations. These characteristics can be identified, measured, and compared overtime as performance benchmarks to improve business results.

Olivo is the co‐author of Impending Crisis, Too Many Jobs, Too Few People (a Business Best Seller for 2003), Success Simplified (with Dr. Stephen Covey in 2011) and Roadmap to Success (with Dr. Ken Blanchard in 2012). He is considered by business leaders to be an expert in Talent Management and is one of the most requested speakers in the Healthcare industry on the topic of “Quantifying the impact that leadership has on performance outcomes.”

Throughout his life, Olivo has been very involved in competitive athletics. His collegiate career was highlighted twice by being honored as an NCAA All‐American in the sport of Springboard Diving. As a Coach, Olivo has developed athletes at every level of competition and in 1985 he was recognized as NCAA coach of the year.

Tom Olivo lives in Bozeman, Montana with his wife Katie and daughters Sarah and Christine. His personal interests include all forms of outdoor recreation ‐ especially fly‐fishing.

Larry A. Mullins, DHA, FACHE

Advisory Board Member

Larry A. Mullins, DHA, FACHE

Position Advisory Board Member

Larry A. Mullins is President and Chief Executive Officer of Samaritan Health Services, Inc., an integrated healthcare system of hospitals, physicians, clinics, health plans and other health operations in Oregon.

A veteran of the US Marine Corps, Dr. Mullins served in South Vietnam with the 26th Marine Regiment and the 1st Dr. Mullins is an active community leader. He received the 1996 Robert C. Ingalls Business Person of the Year award from the Corvallis Chamber of Commerce, the 1997 MacEachern CEO Award from the Public Relations Society of America, and the 2001 Newcomer Executive of the Year award from the American Academy of Medical

Administrators. He was recognized by the American Hospital Association as one of its 2007 Grassroots Champions. The Oregon Health Forum honored Dr. Mullins with its Lifetime Leadership Award in 2008. In 2011, he was named Business Leader of the Year by the Lebanon, (Ore.) Chamber of Commerce. Professionally, Dr. Mullins has achieved the designation of Diplomate in Healthcare Administration from the American Academy of Medical Administrators (AAMA). He is a Fellow in the American College of Health Care Executives (ACHE), and has served as Regent and as Oregon Chapter President. He received the ACHE Regent Award for the State of Oregon in 2014. Dr. Mullins is a past chair of the Oregon Association of Hospitals & Healthcare Systems

(OAHHS) and of the Health Systems Governance Council of the American Hospital Association (AHA). He currently serves on the Leadership Committee of the Governing Council of the AHA and is a member of AHA’s Regional Policy Board 9. He also serves on the boards of the Northwest Osteopathic Medical Foundation and the Oregon Health Leadership Council. He has served as Chair of the Paradigm Board of Directors since its inception in 2003. Paradigm is a medical malpractice insurance company. In addition, he previously served on Oregon’s Adverse Healthcare Incidents Task Force and the Oregon Foundation for Medical Excellence.

Dr. Mullins previously co-chaired Oregon’s Emergency Support Function 8 Policy Group, which advises on policies and planning regarding the full range of emergency activities encompassed by the Oregon Emergency Response Plan. He participated in the Air Force War College as part of the National Security Forum and was appointed by former Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski to serve as a member of the Homeland Security Council of the State of Oregon. Dr. Mullins received a Bachelor of Science degree from Arizona State University, a Master’s degree from Northern Arizona University, and a Doctor of Health Administration degree from the Medical University of South Carolina. The topic of his doctoral dissertation was organizational change and crisis leadership. He was awarded an honorary degree from Linn-Benton Community College in 2007 and a Doctor of Humane Letters from Western University of Health Sciences in 2008. In 2009, Dr. Mullins received the Dwight Patterson Alumnus of the Year award from the Northern Arizona University Alumni Association. He is an Adjunct Faculty member in the College of Health & Human Sciences at Oregon State University and serves on the Leadership Council of the College of Health and Human Services at Northern Arizona University. He is a Professorial Lecturer at George Washington University in the Department of Health Services Management and Leadership. He has published articles on integrated health networks, health care reform, and hospital/physician relations.

Stephen G. Morrissette, MBA, Ph.D.

Advisory Board Member

Stephen G. Morrissette, MBA, Ph.D.

Position Advisory Board Member

Stephen G. Morrissette is the Managing Director of Providence Advisors, Inc. a provider of comprehensive strategic advisory services to Boards of Directors as well as CEOs and controlling owners/investors. He has extensive expertise in banking as a director, CEO, and CFO and healthcare industry experience including roles as trustee, board chair, hospital treasurer and advisor on medical practice mergers, acquisitions, and sales. He has published several articles on banking and healthcare M&A. He is an Associate Professor at the University of St. Francis where his teaching includes healthcare finance and he is an adjunct associate professor at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business where he teaches the M&A Strategy course in the MBA program. He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago and a Ph.D.

Peter Lien

Advisory Board Member

Peter Lien

Position Advisory Board Member

President of Pete Lien & Sons, Inc. since 1996, Pete and his family have led the mining industry in realizing the concept of shared value creation through environmental protection and sustainability. Pete has received scores of conservation and environmental stewardship awards while maintaining a profitable and growing enterprise which employs hundreds of citizens in the local communities in which Pete Lien & Sons operates.

Pete is a graduate of the Kellogg Graduate School of Management of Northwestern University: YPO Presidents Program and of Arizona State University business college.

He was a member of the Young President’s Organization 1990-2009 and now belongs to WPO. Pete currently serves on the Bishops Advisory Board for the Diocese of Rapid City, SD and is a trustee of the USAF Academy Falcon Foundation. He is a member and participant of the Rocky Mountain Wild Horse Racing Association/American Wild Horse Racing Association and is pleased to be a Certified National Beer Judge by the American Home Brewers Association.

Jack R. Blair, MBA

Advisory Board Member

Jack R. Blair, MBA

Position Advisory Board Member

Jack R. Blair has a wealth of international business experience. Mr. Blair served in various capacities with Smith & Nephew PLC and Richards Medical Company, which was acquired by Smith & Nephew in 1986. Most recently, he was Group President of Smith & Nephew’s North and South American and Japanese operations (1986-1998) and held the position of President of Richards Medical Company (1982-1986). Until November 2007, when the company was sold, Mr. Blair served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of DJO Inc., an orthopedic medical device company. He also serves as a director of NuVasive, Inc., a publicly held Spinal Surgery Company, and is Chairman of The Campbell Clinic Foundation of Memphis, TN. Mr. Blair holds a B.A. in Government from Miami University and an M.B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles.

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