The Allegro Group - To bring real world experience to the next generation of healthcare companies

	HOME SERVICES ACCOMPLISHMENTS TEAM CONTACT		Debbie Galloway, Communications and Marketing For more than 20 years, Debbie has helped organizations improve their communications. Among her strengths is her ability to help her clients identify troublesome issues, design solutions that work and implement strategies based on strong communications programs. In particular, Debbie helps her clients: See the big picture: strategic marketing planning corporate identity development group facilitation Develop creative communications: logo development/identity packages websites and blogs capability brochures enews and printed newsletters advertising training materials presentations Implement solutions that make sense: dynamic graphic design streamlined print and electronic production unique specialty items attention-getting packaging Prior to forming her own consulting firm in 1989, she worked for two financial service organizations in various communications/marketing functions. Debbie holds a bachelor's degree in communications from the University of Kentucky. She is certified as an accredited public relations professional (APR) and as a team facilitator. back to top \| back to Team
			Deborah Lawson, Research Deborah Lawson has over 20 years of experience researching and analyzing the operations and financials of companies involved in the U.S. healthcare sector with a particular emphasis on healthcare services companies. Most recently, as Director of Healthcare Strategy at SoundView Technology, she conducted and coordinated research encompassing all aspects of the U.S. healthcare sector including services, managed care and pharmaceuticals. Prior to Soundview, Deborah was a highly-regarded investment research analyst at Morgan Stanley, Goldman, Sachs & Co., and Citigroup. Consistently ranked among the top in her sector (healthcare services) by both Institutional Investor and Greenwich Associates, she covered a diverse group of companies ranging from hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, rehabilitation, home healthcare, assisted living, clinical laboratories, ambulatory surgery centers, home oxygen and various other services companies. While her primary role was to advise worldwide institutional investors on industry and company fundamentals within healthcare services, she was also involved in over a dozen initial public offerings (IPOs) and follow-on offerings of equity and convertible debt within the sector; Deborah also played a role in many mergers and acquisitions in the sector as well as in numerous restructurings (most significantly the revitalization of HCA, the largest for-profit hospital company in the U.S., in the late 1990s). Deborah is also a distinguished author of dozens of detailed research reports and has created and maintained significant statistical information on companies in the healthcare services sector. Throughout her career, Deborah has placed a particular emphasis on understanding and advising clients as to the dynamics of the Medicare and Medicaid programs and their impact on various subsectors of the healthcare industry (ranging from specific pricing issues, expansion of the programs to governmental investigative initiatives). A notable success was her extensive coverage and analysis of the late 1990s transition of the skilled nursing facility (SNF) sector to a prospective payment system (PPS) under Medicare. Deborah has been a guest presenter at various governmental and private industry association conferences on topics ranging from general industry overviews to the impact of specific government regulations on the healthcare services sector. Deborah received a B.S. in Commerce with a concentration in Finance from the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce. back to top \| back to Team
			Kevin Pendergest, Finance and Operations Kevin Pendergest is a seasoned executive with a unique combination of financial, consulting, operational and board level skills. With over 25 years of senior management and leadership experiences in various financial operations and advisory positions, he has served as: President of a financial advisory service company that provides assistance in mergers and acquisitions, financing, restructuring and turnaround management Partner of an executive search and recruitment firm that specializes in the placement of senior management positions in the healthcare industry Founding Director and Chief Financial Officer Echo Healthcare Acquisition Corp, a publicly-traded blank check company (EHHA.OB; now VETS: NASDAQ following merger) Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of two separate publicly-traded healthcare companies (SUNH: NASDAQ) and (GC: NYSE) Partner-in-Charge of Healthcare Consulting for the Western Region and National Director of Hospital Cost Management Systems for one of the Big Four accounting firms Kevin's areas of expertise include: Finance - Structuring, negotiating, and closing private and public debt and equity financings Completed over $500 million in private and public equity and debt financings for an early stage long-term healthcare company Completed approximately $350 million in financings for a public company including the exit financing for the company as it emerged from bankruptcy Completed a $57.5 million initial public offering for a blank check company Advised several early stage companies on capital formation and financing strategies including companies involved in primary care clinics, institutional pharmacy, and discount healthcare membership networks Mergers & Acquisitions - Sourcing, negotiating, financing, performing due diligence and integrating mergers, acquisitions and divestitures Completed over 35 mergers and acquisition transactions totaling over $570 million in value for a company that was listed by Fortune Magazine as the 2nd and 4th fastest growing public company in America in consecutive years Served as financial advisor to several private and public companies for merger and acquisition transactions involving long-term care providers, institutional pharmacies, therapy providers, hospices and other ancillary service companies Conducted due diligence for potential buyers, lenders and investors for companies involved in long-term care, acute care, institutional pharmacy, home health, contract research, and medical devices Turnarounds and Restructuring - Building and turning around organizations, both internally and as an outside advisor Led the financial aspects of a turnaround of a small, privately held long-term care provider from a company that lost $14.1 million to a financially stable NYSE listed public company with an enterprise value of $441.5 million five years later Served as a Court appointed examiner in the bankruptcy case of a $2 billion long-term care company for the purpose of developing operating strategies for improving operating margins Served as Operations Improvement Officer and developed the operational restructuring plan for a privately owned long-term care company that subsequently emerged from bankruptcy Led the financial aspects of a two year restructuring done outside of bankruptcy for a large public long-term care company that resulted in an increase in the company's market cap of nearly $120 million Served as an advisor to an equity investor of a long term care company, and to a special committee of the board of a major assisted living, for the purpose of developing pre-bankruptcy operating and financing strategies Served as an advisor to one of the largest institutional pharmacy providers in the industry for the purpose of developing operating strategies to improve operating margins Financial Operations - Managing all areas of the financial operations including accounting, financial planning and reporting, corporate finance, treasury, tax, risk management, reimbursement, MIS, purchasing and internal audit for two separate public companies Rebuilt the entire financial management team and upgraded the financial systems of a rapidly growing company to enable it to support the company's ability to go public and successfully integrate over 20 acquisitions Directed the processes for successfully completing the work necessary to comply with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act for one company Improved the internal and external reporting and metrics tracking processes and reduced the month end closing cycle back to top \| back to Team
			Barry Pennybaker Barry’s depth of experience in the healthcare industry extends to hospitals, life sciences start ups and acute and long term care facilities. He has worked with Vencor, Norton Hospital System, University Medical Center, Commonwealth Health Corporation, Trover Medical Center, Kings Daughter Medical Center, Kentucky Hospital Association, Ohio Hospital Insurance Corporation, Ohio Health Insurance Corporation and many more. Barry is a past Fellow of the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) and President and Chairman of a local Chapter of the HFMA. He was a recipient of the HFMA’s Muncie Gold Medal Service Award and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the United Way and Louisville Science Center. Professional and civic affiliations include American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Kentucky Society of Certified Public Accountants & Healthcare Financial Management Association, past Fellow and President of local chapter. Barry is a Partner with Mountjoy & Bressler, LLP. back to top \| back to Team
			Kay Reis Kay Reis is a human resources law and management consultant with over 20 years experience in practicing employment law and managing human resources functions for companies. Prior to establishing Reis Sources, LLC in 1999, Kay served as the Director of Employee Relations and Interim Director of Recruiting for Vencor, Inc. During that period, Kay oversaw the creation of an internal management training program for both the Corporate Office and field facilities. With a focus on the healthcare industry, Kay has advised hospital, long-term acute care hospital, SNF, assisted living and home healthcare companies. This multi-disciplinary experience has given Kay a unique perspective in the human resources and compliance needs of healthcare companies. In addition to providing human resources consulting, Kay has written Codes of Ethics and Standards of Conduct for healthcare companies, and overseen compliance programs in compliance with applicable OIG regulations and healthcare law. As a consultant, Kay assists businesses in applying practical solutions to human resources issues in compliance with state and federal fair employment laws. Among the services Kay provides to companies are the following: Advising and assisting start-ups in human resources staffing and functions. Assessing the organizational structure of human resources department. Assessing and advising companies on human resources functions in mergers and acquisitions. Evaluating recruiting and hiring practices in compliance with federal immigration and anti- discrimination laws. Creating effective retention and recognition programs. Assessing and classifying job positions in compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act and drafting job descriptions. Creating effective general and departmental orientation programs. Creating effective performance evaluation tools and practices. Creating and implementing human resources policies, procedures and forms Drafting employee handbooks and human resources manuals. Assessing benefit and compensation plans and advising on proper pay practices. Drafting leaves of absence policies in compliance with the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, applicable state leave and disability laws and state Worker's Compensation laws. Providing sexual harassment and discrimination training. Providing diversity and sensitivity training. Providing supervisory skills training, including motivating, retaining and coaching employees. Advising companies on employee relations issues such as counseling, discipline and discharge. Advising companies on reductions in force and drafting separation packages. Conducting workplace investigations and advising companies on the appropriate resolution. Responding to federal and state discrimination and retaliation charges and wage and hour and Family and Medical Leave Act claims. Advising and representing companies in unemployment compensation hearings. Kay is a frequent speaker to human resources professionals and employment attorneys on various workplace topics such as drug testing, background checks, Fair Labor Standards Act and state wage and hour laws, Family and Medical Leave Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, workplace investigations, federal and state anti-discrimination laws, effective management practices and policies, human resources policies and procedures, proper documentation of disciplinary actions, performance evaluation, recruiting and hiring practices, reductions in force, employee privacy issues and sexual harassment. She is the co-author of "Kentucky Civil Rights Act", "Fair Labor Standards Act" and "Kentucky Unemployment Compensation Law". 3A Kentucky Practice: Methods of Practice (3d ed. 1990). Kay received a Bachelor's Degree in Secondary Education (French and English) and a Master's Degree in French Literature from the University of Kentucky. She received the Juris Doctor Degree from the University of Louisville. Kay participated in the Executive Management Program of the School of Business University of Louisville. Her civic activities include Leadership Louisville, Society for Human Resources Management and the Louisville and Kentucky Bar Associations. back to top \| back to Team
			Steve Turner, Operations and Business Development Steve Turner has over thirty years of varied healthcare experience, including senior executive roles in operations and business development. His professional accomplishments include the following: Took over a three-hospital group in California for Vencor, Inc, and grew it into a Region of 24 hospitals in 7 states with $450 million in revenue, through organic improvement, new facility development, and acquisition of smaller multi-facility companies. He sustained continuous improvement in quality, earnings, operating margins, customer satisfaction, and employee satisfaction. The West Region portfolio was and remains one of the top contributing profit centers for Kindred Healthcare. Extensive experience leading organizations through mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, reorganizations, and their response to radical reimbursement changes and impairment. Led initiative to formalize and expand all business development activities for Kindred Healthcare Hospital Division - new hospital development and implementation, hospital marketing, program development, strategic planning, and hospital construction. In-depth understanding of the post-acute continuum and the efficient management of patients through that system and the implications to patients and payers. Primary experience at the long-term acute level, with secondary experience in acute care, rehabilitation, sub-acute, skilled nursing, home care, and hospice. Strong track record of attracting and developing strong individuals and leading and supporting the development of cohesive, effective teams. Prior to joining Vencor/Kindred, Steve held hospital administration roles for American Medical International and EPIC Healthcare. Steve received a BBA in Engineering Management Specialization from the University of Texas at Austin. He was formerly, a member of the Board of Governors and member of the Legislative Committee of the Federation of American Hospitals, Washington, DC. back to top \| back to Team
			Ann Walthall, Information Technology and Process Design Ann Walthall combines her experience as an operating executive with her knowledge of information technology, process design, and project management to help clients align operational resources with business strategy. Ann has a track record in leading small teams, as well as large organizations, in start-up, high growth, and turnaround environments. She works with clients to develop executable plans allowing them to bridge the gap between business strategy and implementation by specializing in: Information technology strategic planning Implementation of I/T and operational initiatives Process design and reengineering Assessment and acquisition of operational and I/T skills Cross-functional team management and project management Using these capabilities, Ann has effected positive change within and across functional disciplines, including: Customer service/relationship management Call center operations/telemarketing Engineering/product development Purchasing/inventory management Product administration Human resources/internal communication Field installation and service Ann's experience spans a variety of industries, such as insurance, banking, investments, software services, Internet services, manufacturing, and non-profit organizations. Before starting her consulting practice, Ann worked as the senior vice president of operations for Darwin Networks, an Internet start-up company. Previously, she was also the vice president of engineering and operations for Appriss, a technology services company; and the CIO and chief administration officer at Providian Capital Management, a $16 billion division of Providian Corporation. Ann received an interdisciplinary bachelors degree in computer science and business from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Masters in Business Administration from Bellarmine College. She is an adjunct professor in the College of Business at the University of Louisville. Recent experiences include: Developing an information technology strategy and staffing plan for an electronic payment processing company to enable business strategies for growth and expansion into new markets. Providing an evaluation of I/T strategy and leadership for the CEO of a $100+ billion investment division and assisting in the recruiting of an I/T executive. Leading the process redesign initiative for a fast-growing workers' compensation insurance provider and planning for I/T changes to coincide with improved operational processes. Assessing I/T and operational processes at a custom manufacturing company; providing the CEO with recommended strategies for aligning people, process, and technology with business goals. Performing an I/T skills evaluation to determine capabilities needed for expansion of a national non-profit organization. Intervening on a critical software project for an educational organization and developing a plan with the vendor and internal staff for successful completion. Building the operations team of an Internet start-up company including organizing the customer call center, network operations center, field operations, customer installation, and equipment logistics functions. Integrating operations and engineering functions within a software services company into cross-functional teams focused on client service. Leading the definition of the standard product version of a software services firm to allow both customizable and efficient client services. Coordinating the organizational merger of a financial services corporation into three divisions of the acquiring corporation facilitating decisions among six divisional executives across both companies. Testing and prototyping a direct marketing channel for financial products using database marketing and telemarketing approaches. Reorganizing and relocating an insurance customer call center and product administration department from Philadelphia to Louisville. back to top \| back to Team