Vecna is proud to have the support and counsel of our distinguished Board of Advisors with significant expertise and experience in medicine, healthcare, business, administration and research/academia.
Samuel Brown, MD
Dr. Brown conceived and was co-investigator for the NIH-sponsored research in infection control and surveillance that resulted in the QC PathFinder™ suite of applications and has been committed to the project throughout the transition from research to deployed product. He is a summa cum laude graduate of Harvard College in linguistics, with published work in theoretical syntax. He received his MD from Harvard Medical School with various honors including a National Scholarship, a Massachusetts Medical Society Scholarship, the Rosa Seegal award, and a Soma Weiss lectureship. He completed internal medicine training at Massachusetts General Hospital, where he served for two years as clinical physician and Instructor at Harvard Medical School. He received the first-ever Mentor Award from the Society of Healthcare Epidemiology of America for his work in global health, the epidemiology of nosocomial infections, clinical quality improvement, and antimicrobial resistance. He has published several papers in peer-reviewed journals and presented at several international conferences.
TOP ↑Clayton M. Christensen
Clayton M. Christensen is the Robert and Jane Cizik Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School, with a joint appointment in the Technology & Operations Management and General Management faculty groups. Professor Christensen holds a B.A. with highest honors in economics from Brigham Young University (1975), and an M.Phil. in applied econometrics and the economics of less-developed countries from Oxford University (1977), where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar. He received an MBA with High Distinction from the Harvard Business School in 1979, graduating as a George F. Baker Scholar. In 1982 Professor Christensen was named a White House Fellow, and served as assistant to U.S. Transportation Secretaries Drew Lewis and Elizabeth Dole. He was awarded his D.B.A. from the Harvard Business School in 1992. Professor Christensen became a faculty member at the Harvard Business School in 1992. He is author of three books: The Innovator's Dilemma (1997), which received the Global Business Book Award for the best business book published in 1997; The Innovator's Solution (2003), also a New York Times best seller; and Seeing What's Next (2004). He presently is completing two books that examine the problems of our healthcare and public education systems through the lenses of his theories. Professor Christensen is also extensively involved in other activities in the community and exemplifies Vecna's commitment to making the world a better place. He and his wife, Christine, live in Belmont, MA. They are the parents of five children.
TOP ↑William Winkenwerder
William Winkenwerder, Jr. is the founder and Chairman of The Winkenwerder Company LLC, a consulting firm specializing in strategic advisory services to healthcare companies and organizations that is bringing new approaches to healthcare through health information technology, prevention, wellness, self-care, automation, control of infectious disease, reduction of medical errors, and improvements to quality and organization of care. Dr. Winkenwerder has a long and distinguished career in healthcare as a practicing physician, private industry executive, and government health policy leader. He served as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs in the U.S. Department of Defense from October 2001 through April 2007.
At the Department of Defense, Dr. Winkenwerder was the leader of the Military Health System and the principal medical advisor to the Secretary of Defense. During his tenure, Dr. Winkenwerder led the implementation of a new worldwide electronic health record system (AHLTA), guided the merger of Walter Reed Army and Bethesda Naval Medical Centers, and responded to numerous humanitarian crises. He served on the American Health Information Community (AHIC) Commission charged by the federal government to develop a plan for electronic health records for all Americans. He was also elected Chairman of the International Committee of Military Medicine (ICMM), a 90 country organization representing all the major nations of the world.
Prior to his government service, Dr. Winkenwerder worked as a senior health executive and practicing physician for more than 20 years. He held senior positions at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Prudential Healthcare (now part of Aetna) and Emory University. He also served on the Board of America's Health Insurance Plans, the national trade association representing health plans and insurers. Dr. Winkenwerder has been honored for his work by the American Medical Association, the University of North Carolina, the Wharton School of Business, and the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs. Dr. Winkenwerder is a graduate of Davidson College, the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, and is board certified in internal medicine and received an M.B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business.
TOP ↑Carl Hendricks
Mr. Carl Hendricks is a Senior Advisor for Health Information Technology with the Winkenwerder Company. Prior to joining the Winkenwerder Company, Mr. Hendricks served as the Chief Information Officer for the Military Health System of the Department of Defense. In this role, he served as senior information technology advisor to the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs) and worked closely with senior healthcare leaders of the Department of Defense, Army, Navy, and Air Force.
Mr. Hendricks has more than 30 years of healthcare management experience in the federal sector and has played a vital role in overseeing research, design, development, and implementation of information systems in support of large federal organizations. He has held the following positions: Senior Information Technology Advisor, Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center; Program Executive Officer, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs; Chief Information Officer for The Surgeon General, United States Army; Director, University Computer Center, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences; and Chief Scientist and Engineer, Telemedicine Program, United States Army Medical Research and Materiel Command.
Mr. Hendricks holds a Master of Engineering Degree in Biomedical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and a Master of Science Degree in Business Administration from Boston University. Mr. Hendricks enjoys competing in triathlons and marathons.
TOP ↑Sallie Robinson
Ms. Sallie Robinson is a business development healthcare consultant with The Winkenwerder Company. Prior to joining The Winkenwerder Company, Ms. Robinson was a Sales Executive with NCR Corporation for more than 20 years. Ms. Robinson's business development and sales experience in government and commercial markets provides an understanding of customer needs and implementing strategies to meet those needs. She has a proven record of success in developing and managing complex business operations.
As the leader of the NCR Business Development team, she developed and implemented the strategic plan for market capture and exponential growth. Prior to this, she led the Sales and Professional Services team that resulted in the first exclusive and largest competitive contract award for her organization. For these achievements, Ms. Robinson was recognized as the NCR Consistent Achiever for her 16th consecutive year of exceeding annual business objectives. She also received the NCR Key Competitive Award in 2004 and 2002 for developing new business within competitive accounts. In addition to her other achievements, Ms. Robinson was recognized by NCR's Chairman of the Board as the top worldwide Account Executive and "Best of the Best" team award for highest achieving Sales organization worldwide.
Ms. Robinson graduated from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.A. in Economics. In 1999, she co-founded the Ralph B. Garrison Scholarship to provide financial support for UNC-CH College of Arts and Sciences undergraduates who have an interest in medicine. She also serves on the Board of Advisors of eScience Labs, Inc.
TOP ↑Carl A. Gustafson
Carl A. Gustafson has 40 years experience in human resource management. He retired in 2005 as corporate vice president for human resources at Baptist Health South Florida (BHSF), a not-for-profit, multi-hospital healthcare system and the largest private employer in Miami, Florida. During his 13-year leadership, BHSF was recognized numerous times by Fortune magazine and Working Mother magazine as one of the Top 100 Employers in the United States. The AARP recognized BHSF as one of the best employers in the U.S. for older workers. Workforce Management magazine bestowed its Optimas award for creativity in human relations. In addition to leadership in healthcare, Mr. Gustafson has managed HR functions as a government contractor, and in the aerospace/electronics, broadcasting, and consumer products industries. During his career his roles included chairman of the Bay Area Employers Work and Family Coalition, co-chairman of the Greater Miami Chamber Personnel & Labor Management Committee, and member of a national MetLife Board of Advisors. In the community he has served as a member of a school board and bishop in his church. From 2005-2007, Mr. Gustafson taught international business courses in China at China Foreign Affairs University in Beijing and at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies in Guangzhou. He received his bachelor's degree from Princeton University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. He and his wife Louise presently live in West Chester, Ohio.
