BRENTWOOD, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cogent Healthcare Inc., one of the nation’s leading hospital and critical care medicine companies, has hired veteran healthcare executive Dean Weiland as President and CEO. In addition, the company has been renamed from Cogent HMG to Cogent Healthcare, Inc.
“I’m thrilled to join the Cogent team as we are remarkably well positioned for the changes brought on by healthcare reform,” Weiland said. “We have a company that consistently demonstrates how you drive superior quality metrics by appropriately managing care while reducing costs.”
Cogent Healthcare has a national network of hospital partnerships led by very experienced clinical and business leaders supported by over 1,000 outstanding physicians and other medical professionals. Mr. Weiland joins the well-established existing leadership team at Cogent.
“Cogent is very fortunate to add Dean to our already outstanding management team and board of directors,” said Executive Chairman Randy Thurman. “I am confident his leadership will further position Cogent to grow and succeed in today’s healthcare environment. Dean is a proven leader and brings an exceptional track record leading healthcare service companies.”
Prior to Cogent, Weiland was a founder and Chief Operating Officer of Renal Advantage Inc., the third largest dialysis company in the U.S. that operated over 150 centers throughout the country. He led the merger of Renal Advantage with Liberty Dialysis. He then led the merger of Renal Advantage with Fresenius Medical Care where he has continued to participate with the merger, transition and strategic direction. Previously, Mr. Weiland held executive leadership roles including Chief Executive Officer of The Work Institute, Chief Operating Officer of CLEARTRACK Information Network and Executive Vice President of MedStat Inc. He began his career with Baxter Healthcare where he ultimately became Vice President of New Business Initiatives for Caremark.
Leadership Team: Future Opportunities
At Cogent Healthcare, Weiland joins a strong leadership team with the combined ability to capture tremendous growth opportunities for the organization.
That team includes: Bob LaGalia, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and Dr. Ron Greeno, a Cogent founder and Chief Medical Officer. Mr. LaGalia oversees all financial operations and information technology and as EVP will work with Mr. Weiland on all company operations. Dr. Greeno, a well-known industry icon, develops and maintains the highest standards of hospital medicine and works with our business unit presidents on proactively sustaining the highest quality standards with the more than 100 hospitals who partner with Cogent.
In addition, the team includes: Cogent Business Unit Presidents, Michael Friedlander, MD, Rachel George, MD, and Joanne Loeper, RN, MSN, MBA; Beth Hawley, Chief Partnership and Innovation Officer; Cheryl Slack, Chief Human Resource and Physician Services Officer; Doug Mefford, Chief Legal Officer; Jay Cowen, MD, President and Steve Matchett, MD, Chief Medical Officer, will continue to lead The Intensivist Group, a wholly owned affiliate of Cogent.
"I am extremely pleased to join this long standing team which I believe is among the best in health care. Together, we can do great things for healthcare and for this organization,” Weiland said.
New Name: Same Vision
Since the merger of Cogent and HMG in 2011, the company has been known as Cogent HMG. Having completed the merger, the company will transition its name to Cogent Healthcare Inc. The Cogent name is well recognized for its excellence in hospital and critical care medicine and its partnership with over 100 hospitals in the U.S.
Mr. Thurman added: “Our strategy remains unchanged – to be the leading provider of hospital and critical care medicine in the U.S. by providing our patients with exceptional care and our hospital clients with outstanding value and a seamless partnership. Cogent is a pioneer in the rapidly evolving healthcare industry allowing hospitals to control costs while delivering superior patient outcomes. The physicians who provide hospital medicine are rapidly emerging as one of the most important decision-makers in both acute and post acute care. Our pipeline of new business is very robust and, with the addition of Mr. Weiland, Cogent will continue to strengthen its position as a leader in the evolving hospital market place.”
In addition, Mr. Weiland joins the Cogent Healthcare Board of Directors which includes Governor Michael Leavitt, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services; Gary Chartrand, Executive Chairman of Acosta Sales & Marketing; Mark Neaman, CEO, Northshore University Health Systems; Thomas Pryma, Partner of AEA Investors; Martin Eltrich, Partner of AEA Investors; David Neighbours, Partner of Waud Capital Partners and Randy Thurman, Operating Executive of AEA Investors and Executive Chairman of Cogent Healthcare, Inc.
About Cogent HMG
Cogent HMG Hospitalists and Intensivists are the most critical physicians in the health care system today. Located at the center of the health care delivery system where the majority of health care spending takes place, Cogent HMG Hospitalists and Intensivists are empowered to positively affect the key decision points around the quality of care and its associated cost. As America’s health care environment continues to shift toward pay for performance and population health management, Cogent HMG and our hospitalists and intensivists will be responsible for driving our partners to succeed. For more information, visit www.cogenthmg.com.
