Mr. Lee H. Perlman is Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President, Administration, of the Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA), as well as President of GNYHA Ventures, Inc. Mr. Perlman has been with the Greater New York Hospital Association since 1983, having held increasingly responsible positions in health policy development and management of the Association’s for-profit subsidiaries. He is responsible for the growth of the subsidiary’s new and innovative businesses that serve the healthcare community and simplify and enhance services for patients and providers. GNYHA Ventures is involved in over $6 billion in commerce.
Under the leadership of Mr. Perlman, GNYHA Services, Inc., a subsidiary of GNYHA, signed in March 2004, an innovative seven-year contract with Premier Purchasing Partners for group purchasing of medical/surgical and pharmaceutical supplies on behalf of more than 100 not-for-profit hospitals throughout the New York and New Jersey area. Under this new relationship with Premier, GNYHA Services is able to offer its members the benefits of a major national GPO with the advantages of regional flexibility to make group purchasing work better for hospitals. GNYHA Services and Premier have experienced a successful partnership since 1996. Mr. Perlman also serves as Chairman of Innovatix, the fastest growing alternate care purchasing corporation in the nation with approximately 14,000 members and $3 billion in purchasing volume.
Over the last decade, GNYHA’s affiliated businesses have generated more than $100 million in funds, and in 2008, the businesses will collectively be involved in more than $6 billion in commerce, represent approximately $90 million in revenue, and provide resources to fund $20 million in advocacy and support services to GNYHA members and customers.
Board certified in health care management and an ACHE Fellow, Mr. Perlman served as a Board member of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), an international professional society of nearly 30,000 health care executives from years 2000 to 2004 and prior to that was a Regent in the College from years 1996 to 2000. He most recently joined the Board of the National Center for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL). He also serves as a board member of the Institute for Diversity in Health Management and is the founder of the New York Summer Enrichment Program. He was the 1998 recipient of ACHE’s Robert S. Hudgens Memorial Award for Young Healthcare Executive of the Year. Mr. Perlman is also a past president of the Metropolitan Health Administrators’ Association.
Mr. Perlman received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Binghamton (NY) University in 1980 and his MBA from the Sloan Program at Cornell University in 1982.
Mr. Christopher J. O’Connor is Executive Vice President for GNYHA Ventures, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Greater New York Hospital Association, and is responsible for the management and growth of GNYHA Services Group Purchasing, including the GNYHA Services/Premier portfolio, GNYHA Services Client Services, Business Intelligence, Clinical Resource Management, and Clinical Diagnostic Services. Under his leadership, revenues have more than doubled.
Mr. O’Connor also serves as President of Nexera, Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary of GNYHA Ventures. Mr. O’Connor joined GNYHA Ventures in 2003 to build a consulting company which initially focused on supply chain management but has since expanded its reach to include process assessment and redesign, technology assessment and initiative implementation, contract evaluation, pharmacy and 340B tracking implementation, laboratory process and cost assessment and implementation, dietary assessment and management and nursing education. Under his leadership Nexera has achieved its revenue and profitability goals every year and has saved its clients over $78 million to date.
Mr. O’Connor has more than 20 years of health care experience working in hospitals and long term care facilities. After spending the beginning of his career working the operations side of a hospital, Mr. O’Connor spent more than 10 years at KPMG (Bearing Point) and Deloitte doing cost reduction projects, M&A, reorganizations, strategy, system implementations (ERP), and technology optimization engagements. He also spent several years working internationally in Brazil, Holland, and South Africa working on supply chain projects outside of health care in financial services, manufacturing, and transportation. Once back in the United States, Mr. O’Connor spent a year working with the United Nations and the budding Department of Homeland Security.
Mr. O’Connor is currently a Board Member of HIGPA, the Health Industry Group Purchasing Association and is working on the greening of healthcare through their affiliations. A member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, he has been an ACHE Fellow since 2001 and is active in their mentorship program. Mr. O’Connor is a member of the Health Care Advisory Board at Iona College and was a member of the Iona College Alumni Board from 1996 to 2006. He was an elected member of the Pelham School District School Board from 2001 – 2004 and served on their finance and strategic planning committees. He is an active speaker and author on a variety of healthcare and supply chain topics.
Mr. O’Connor devotes a significant amount of time in both volunteer and philanthropic activities. He is an active fundraiser for Project Family, an organization dedicated to providing counseling and maintaining a soup kitchen for the Mount Vernon, NY community. He is a former Board Member for the Mount Vernon YMCA Family Center, and a former Board Member of the Danny Fund, an organization that provides financial assistance to families of children with cancer. Mr. O’Connor is also a fundraiser for SCHOLA Ministers, an organization that supports and promotes liturgical and contemplative arts, and is a volunteer for Midnight Runs, delivering food and warm clothing to the homeless in Manhattan.
Mr. O’Connor received his Bachelor of Arts in English Education and his Master’s degree in Business Administration in Production Operation Management from Iona College, and he has a Post Masters Certificate in Management.
Mr. Jeffrey A. Ashkenase has worked at GNYHA Services since 2004. Mr. Ashkenase's areas provide the information and analytics necessary to support the GNYHA Services regional contracting effort; they also provide the information and analytics the field force uses to assist members in maximizing the value of the GNYHA Services Group Purchasing Program. Mr. Ashkenase is also responsible for deploying the GNYHA Services/Premier/GHX contract management technology to the member hospitals. Mr. Ashkenase has worked in the health care industry for more than 10 years in non-profit, managed care, group purchasing, and government settings. Throughout his career, he has been responsible for managing costs, system implementations, optimizing the supply chain, and improving the decision support and budgeting process through the use of technology. Prior to joining GNYHA Services, he was an Associate Vice President of Finance at Maimonides Medical Center where his responsibilities included overseeing the budget, decision support department and materials management, and business information systems. Mr. Ashkenase earned his B.A. from SUNY Albany and his Masters from the NYU Wagner School.
Ms. Donna Gammarato has worked with GNYHA Services since 1996. Ms. Gammarato is responsible for client services and marketing/communications for the GNYHA Services/Premier Group Purchasing Program. In this role, Ms Gammarato helps participating members achieve their supply chain goals through contract optimization and strategic use of program tools, technologies, and solutions. Prior to joining GNYHA Services, Ms. Gammarato was the Associate Executive Director for Materials Management at Elmhurst Hospital Center where her responsibilities included Purchasing, Distribution, Receiving, Central Sterile, and Linen Services. Ms. Gammarato chaired numerous committees at the hospital during her tenure including the hospital’s Hazardous Materials Committee, which developed policies and procedures for the safe handling and purchases of hazardous materials; the Forms Management Committee; and New Product Committee. Ms. Gammarato earned her B.A. from Queens College and certification as Materials & Resource Professional from the American Hospital Association and is a member of the American Hospital Association of Materials Managers (AHRMM).
As Vice President Clinical Resource Management for GNYHA Services, Mr. Timothy K. Glennon is responsible for assisting hospital executives and clinical staff obtain optimal value from the clinical preference product contracts in the GNYHA Services/Premier group purchasing portfolio. Mr. Glennon has more than 25 years of progressively responsible health care clinical and executive experience in nursing and hospital administration. He is a seasoned public speaker and educator, providing seminars on health care, leadership, and professional development topics in the U.S., Europe, and Mexico. Mr. Glennon has numerous published articles on health care leadership topics, and he was the recipient of the Healthcare Purchasing News Materials Management Leadership Award in 1997. Mr. Glennon received his B.S.N. and M.S.N. degrees from Hunter College; he also holds an M.B.A. from Baruch College.
Mr. Bill Larkin, who has more than 20 years of experience in pharmacy management, joined GNYHA Services in 1992. Prior to joining GNYHA Services, he was the Assistant Director of Pharmacy Operations at Lenox Hill Hospital and served as the GNYHA Services, Inc. Pharmacy Committee Chairman for four years prior to joining GNYHA Services. Mr. Larkin received a B.S. Pharmacy Degree from St. John’s University and a Masters degree from Long Island University’s Schwartz College of Pharmacy. During his tenure at GNYHA Services, the pharmaceutical contract program has grown to a volume of over $900 million.
Mr. John Vivenzio manages GHYHA Services’ vast and comprehensive contract portfolio. He also directs a team of subject matter experts and leads GNYHA Services’ regional contracting strategies, which result in even more significant financial benefits for member participants. Prior to joining GNYHA Services in 2002, Mr. Vivenzio was the Vice President of Regional Network Operations at Joint Purchasing Corporation in New York City where his responsibilities included the operation of cooperative joint ventures with regional health systems in New Jersey and Indiana. Prior to that, Mr. Vivenzio served for a decade as the Associate Vice President for Support Services at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, where his areas of purview extended to state-wide operations on five campuses. Mr. Vivenzio earned his B.A. from Richmond College, Staten Island, NY, and his Masters of Professional Studies from New School University, New York City.