Our CS Partners Leadership Team
Don Carlson
Managing Partner
Don is an entrepreneur with over 30 years of successful experience in the healthcare IT, business services, and banking industries. He was co-founder and EVP of ChangeStar Corporation, a venture backed healthcare information outsourcing technology company, co-founder/Director/EVP of venture backed Certus Corporation, a national healthcare revenue cycle company, and President/Founder of Castle Mountain, Inc., a healthcare M&A advisory and management consulting company. Before forming Castle Mountain, Don was Senior VP of Healthcare Business Development for CMSI, Inc. (ACS) and was VP of Business Development for CIRI (PacifiCorp). He also co-founded EESI an engineering research and development company which was funded by the Department of Energy and private investors.
Previously he co-founded and served as Chairman of The Healthcare Network Exchange, a nonprofit association of healthcare consulting and business services founders/CEO's, and has served as a Director/advisor to numerous private company boards. He is a graduate of the University of Montana with a BS degree in Business Administration.
Paul Sampedro
Managing Partner
Paul has over 20 years of information technology (IT) and entrepreneurial experience. Along with Don Carlson, he co-founded ChangeStar Corporation, a venture backed healthcare information outsourcing technology company. He has been an executive and board member of several startup companies focused on healthcare IT and security solutions. In addition to his various executive roles, he has been an active business advisor to various information technology, healthcare and telecommunications startup companies.
Paul previously held a variety of senior management positions in business development and strategic planning at QUALCOMM, spearheading domestic and international ventures and business initiatives in mobile wireless enterprise, telematics and innovative wireless data products. Prior, he co-founded, led and oversaw daily operations of a number of engineering, information technology and business teams at Lockheed Martin, chartered to develop, integrate and operate technology services within the public and private sectors.
Paul has extensive experience in program management, business and corporate development, venture formation, M&A activities, as well as strategic planning for new business ventures. In addition, he is versatile in the design, development, installation, and operation of advanced computing, communications and networking solutions. He has received recognition for his technical and entrepreneurial acumen, most notably the Lockheed Martin's Engineer of the Year award and President's Award. In addition to his professional experience, he has served on various charitable boards. Paul is a graduate of Chaminade University with a BS degree in Computer Science and executive programs at Stanford and Carnegie Mellon Universities.
Back To TopJames Walker
Partner, Operations & Client Services
As Partner and Senior Vice President of Operations and Client Services, Jim has responsibility for the management of CS Partners' expert consultants and for the maintenance of current and past CS Partners client relations.
Jim has over 8 years experience leading the formation of healthcare companies and organizations that are optimized for delivering Hospital Information Systems (HIS) and Electronic Medical Records (EMR) solutions to hospitals and physicians. He has overseen the implementation of large HIS deployments and the adoption of EMR solutions for hundreds of doctors.
As VP of Fortix, Jim was responsible for building Fortix's Healthcare Division prior to their sale to ViaWest. Previously, Jim was Vice President of Service at Upright Systems, Inc. a technology and managed service provider specializing in building ASP's for software companies. While at Upright Systems, he helped raise $3.7M in A-round funding - one of only two companies funded in Oregon in 2001, and he lead the successful effort to partner with IBM in their prestigious Hosting Advantage Program. Jim helped sell Upright Systems to Fortix in 2004.
Jim has accumulated more than eighteen years of specialized experience in building and operating service provider organizations and ASP's. His background includes software engineering, service and sales management, marketing, and corporate development. He formerly served at Intel where he was the National Director of Channel Development for the Solutions and Services Division and helped to create a $1B business plan and channel strategy for consulting services targeted at Hosting and ASP providers. Jim was recruited to Intel from Tektronix, where he had as Director of Customer Service for the Video and Networking Division, built a $25M service business in nine months.
Jim holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University and has been trained in Financials for Executives at J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University.
Back To TopLinda Skinner
Human Resource Development
As Senior Vice President of Human Resource at CS Partners, Linda has extensive experience in all facets of human resource management including staffing, policy development, compensation planning and design, employee benefits, and employee relations in a variety of industries including healthcare, IT outsourcing, service and consulting. She has provided human resource leadership in rapidly changing environments, start-up and high growth environments, and building human resource infrastructures to support the strategic direction of various companies.
Linda served as Vice President of Human Resources for Certus Corporation, leading the development of HR for this national four-company healthcare revenue cycle & medical records outsourcing consolidation. She also served as Vice President of Human Resources for Pacific Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine (HealthSouth), a NASDAQ-listed outpatient rehabilitation firm.
As Vice President of Human Resources for CMSI (ACS), Linda provided the leadership in building the internal administrative and human resource infrastructures to support the rapid growth of its healthcare outsourcing division. Additionally, she was responsible for leading the transitioning of large groups of employees from client healthcare organizations to CMSI, including development of a systematic transition process, development of employee communication and transition materials, and structuring an extensive orientation process acclimating transitioned employees to CMSI.
As an expert in change management, Linda continues to provide senior level consulting services to numerous healthcare clients. She has extensive experience in developing and directing human resource management functions - including staffing, outsourcing, benefits, compensation, training and development, EEO/AA, employee relations, payroll, and compliance. Significant background in human resource transition plans for acquisitions and IT outsourcing clients and in building human resource infrastructures to support strategic direction. Linda is a results-oriented leader with strong communication and organizational skills who works effectively at all organizational levels.
Back To TopDonald Boatright
Recruitment
Don held several senior management positions including, Vice President for a healthcare technology consulting firm, Branch Manager for @Tech, the Technical Division for Apple One Staffing, and as Director of Recruitment and Director of Human Resources at MC Informatics. Don's twenty-six year record of success in the healthcare technology sector is the result of his sales, recruitment and staffing abilities.
He has worked with respected firms such as NCR, Bank of America, EDP, SMS and the Thor Group. His specialty is the delivery of skilled and experienced personnel to fulfill CS Partners client human resource needs.
Back To TopRobert Skinner
Hospital Information Technology Operations
Bob is an expert in the deployment of information technology with over 30 years of proven and progressive values-centered management leadership experience. The work he has done in a wide variety of industries has given him a unique ability to problem-solve conceptual and technological applications in highly divergent environments. Over the last ten years, Bob has overseen information systems as Vice President and CIO for Presbyterian Healthcare Services which employs 9000 employees with an annual budget of $1.7 billion. He is highly effective in recruiting and building teams of exceptional performers and talented individuals, structuring them around the model of strong and lasting relationships.
Recognized for using the Baldrige quality framework for organizational improvement, Bob is known for creating a focused and compelling vision for strategic use of information technology. In addition to executive involvement in the healthcare industry, Bob has also served in airline and defense, from programming to managing and directing systems engineering and office automation.
Mr. Skinner has completed graduate studies in Computer Science and received his Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from Oklahoma State University.
Back To TopRon Passmore
Director, Program Management
Ron is a premier program and project manager with over 23 years in Healthcare IT services and management. His diverse background includes hospital IT management, IT consulting, "Big 8" accounting firms, and project and program management for McKesson where he was the number one program manager in the Western Region for both HIS and Clinical implementations. Ron is an energetic individual who utilizes a collaborative approach to develop and implement effective solutions and help clients achieve expected results. He possesses strong leadership, and communication skills.
Ron has previously held numerous healthcare IT positions including Program Executive, IT Applications Manager, Business Office Manager, Systems Support Analyst, and Senior Healthcare Auditor. While at McKesson, Ron was responsible for all aspects of program management associated with the implementation of McKesson Provider Technologies solution sets including Revenue Cycle, HIS, Clinicals, Imaging, Supply Chain, Financials and Business Performance Solutions. Ron lead several large complex programs and has managed over 20 project teams at a time. He was recognized by McKesson for his efforts being named the Best Customer Program Executive in the West for 2005/2006.
While at Southwest Washington Medical Center, Ron built the new Systems Services Department from the ground up. He and his team oversaw the selection, implementation, integration & support of all major financial, clinical and ancillary applications. As a Business Office Manager, he was able to triple the department's productivity in his first 3 months through process redesign and effective leadership. At Mercy Healthcare Sacramento, Ron played the role of Business Systems Analyst and Project Manager where he provided implementation and system support for the HR/Payroll, Financials, Decision Support, Homecare and Hospice applications. Project experience included implementations, upgrades, customizations, a data center relocation, a business office relocation, disaster recovery testing, design of the enterprise technical infrastructure and more. As an auditor, Ron was fast tracked to running field engagements and became a founding member of the Computer Audit Specialty Team.
Ron holds a BS in Business Administration, Accounting Option from California State University at Northridge.
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