Gene Preston

Founded Vertical Healthcare Strategies to assist in Hospitals and Health Systems in execution of various integration strategies.

• Acted as Chief Strategy Officer for several healthcare start-ups in Silicon Valley.
• Secured capital for multiple clients in order to fund start-up and permanent working capital.
• Developed health system's employer strategies with open and transparent communication to balance influence of health insurers and achieve margin improvement by carving in new services.
• Negotiated and launched joint ventures with companies to provide vertically integrated solutions for certain key services lines.
• Provided CEO and CFO interim services for community hospital post bankruptcy filing.
• Conducted research on emerging trends within industry and capitalized on finds to develop new products and service lines.
• Led operational teams in development, rollout and management of new product lines.

• Responsible for multiple departments and over 300 employees.
• Served as executive in charge of provider based ambulatory clinics, pharmacy operations, 340b contract pharmacy network, managed care negotiations and vertical integration initiatives. Accomplishments included acquisition of academic medical practice plan's clinics, converting them to provider-based clinics adding $2 million to hospitals net income from operations while adding 400,000 visits to 340b eligibility.
• Served as executive in charge of ACO participating in Medicare Share Saving Program and commercial insurance carriers.
• Provided leadership to university practice plan to expand pharmacy services by opening three on campus retail pharmacies and one specialty pharmacy.
• Added $28M of permanent bottom line improvement by building of robust contract pharmacy network.
• Created private labeled pharmacy benefit management program for large employer's employee health plans.
• Expanded health system's primary care network into secondary service area through assumption of existing primary practices.
• Led hospital's participation in CMS Oncology Care Model alternative payment model program.
• Negotiated and executed several joint ventures to enhance transitions of care for discharging patients which resulted in bottom line impact of $8 million.
• Served as key executive in acquisition of larger hospital creating combined $1.2 billion net revenue health system by garnering third party payer support during 4-year challenge by Federal Trade Commission.
• Testified at Federal Trade Commission regarding challenge of acquisition.
• Presented to Moody's and S&P ratings agencies to secure a $365 million-dollar bond issue regarding the hospital's ability to absorb the additional debt required by the acquisition.
• Managed team of employees, overseeing hiring, training, and professional growth.
• Established a culture of continuous improvement, fostering innovation and driving sustainable growth across the organization
• Enhanced company profitability by implementing strategic business plans and optimizing operational processes
• Increased annual net revenue $9 million over projected per by assuming primary responsibility for all third-party payer contract negotiations, hospital budgeting and financial plan which
• Increased net revenue 2.1 million dollars through installation of contract management system.
• Led service line growth through strategic acquisition of certain ancillary services.
• Executed on vertical and horizontal integration strategies such as acquisition of multiple outpatient surgery centers and various specialty clinics.
• Developed physician compensation models to better align incentives to value-based environment.

• Appointed as member in charge of revenue Cycle services including managed care.
• Led multi-disciplinary team consulting in all phases of healthcare revenue cycle including managed care contracting, RAC preparedness, and revenue enhancement.
• Realized and average of $400,000 of new net revenue from services rendered per client.
• Achieved significant growth in new consulting services and clients.

• Led Medicaid and Medicare Advantage expansion in WV- achieving largest state expansion experienced by Coventry Healthcare.
• Increased Medicaid enrollment by more than 10,000 members from network expansion.
• Achieved membership growth across all Coventry Health Plans through employer partnerships and product design.
• Established Medicare Advantage offering to West Virginia residents.
• Managed largest group Medicare Advantage program for State of West Virginia retirees.
• Re-built relationships with provider community.
• Worked with Governor's Office, Chamber of Commerce, and Healthcare Authority on healthcare collaborative initiatives.

• Served as Director of contract negotiations for both hospital and family care centers.
• Assumed primary care practices, converted them to provider-based clinics and operated all seven of family care centers profitably.
• Revised physician compensation plans with private practice incentives.
• Served as Director in charge of professional practices for 70 physicians and advanced practitioners.
• Implemented physician practice management system and provider based "patient friendly" billing.
• Re-structured hospital benefits resulting in $1.4 million savings over three-year period.
• Developed and DRG contract management system to check accuracy of payments and collect underpayments.

• Led large, multi-specialty practices in successful negotiation of major managed care contracts-ensuring current and future viability.
• Assisted multi-specialty practices on data acquisition to be used to evaluate coding patterns and fee schedule opportunities.
• Implemented automated audit process to evaluate risk contracts between health systems and managed care companies and to ensure health systems manage their reimbursement as effectively as possible.
• Assisted hospitals and physicians in southeastern United States market in development of alternative risk transfer models to counteract medical professional liability crisis.
• Implemented captive arrangements and feasibility studies for malpractice insurance programs.
• Designed and implemented employee benefits program for large employers and hospitals throughout WV and Ohio.
• Assisted hospital clients in evaluation of hospital self insured professional liability program, evaluation resulted in significant premium savings as well as significant adjustment to ultimate self-insured liability.
• Appointed to West Virginia Governor's transition team for workers compensation reform.