Leadership

Michael D. Abramoff, MD, PhD, is a fellowship-trained retina specialist, computer scientist and entrepreneur. He is Founder and Executive Chairman of Digital Diagnostics, the first company ever to receive FDA clearance for an autonomous AI diagnostic system. To transform the quality, accessibility, and affordability of global healthcare through the automation of medical diagnosis and treatment.

Dr. Abramoff (gold Fellow ARVO, Fellow IEEE) is the Robert C. Watzke, MD Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Iowa, with a joint appointment in the College of Engineering. Dr. Abramoff is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Digital Diagnostics, the Autonomous AI diagnostics company that was the first in any field of medicine to get FDA clearance for an autonomous AI.

In primary care, the AI system can instantaneously diagnose diabetic retinopathy at the point-of-care. Dr. Abramoff developed an ethical foundation for autonomous AI that was used during the design and validation, and regulatory and payment pathways for autonomous AI.

As the author of over 400 peer-reviewed publications in this field, he has been cited over 50,000 times, and is the inventor on 25 issued patents and many patent applications. Dr. Abramoff has mentored dozens of engineering graduate students, ophthalmology residents, and retina fellows.

His passion is to use AI to improve the affordability, accessibility and quality of care.

Kurt Blasena is the Chief Commercial Officer at Digital Diagnostics where he is committed to improving health equity and care quality through technology in medical diagnosis and treatment that is free of racial and ethnic bias.  

With a career entirely dedicated to healthcare, Blasena brings a passion for increasing access and quality in healthcare, as well as extensive experience in leading commercial organizations. For more than 20 years, Blasena has led SaaS companies through rapid expansion and building go-to-market strategies. His leadership has focused on digital health and artificial intelligence, with an emphasis on driving revenue growth and building high-performance sales and account teams to accelerate growth. 

Blasena believes in fostering a strong company culture and has a proven track record of attracting and developing talented teams focused on growth, with a history of delivering results and scaling revenue from a start-up stage to +$200,000,000. 

Blasena graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and economics.  

Mark Daly is the Chief Technology Officer at Digital Diagnostics where he oversees the engineering, algorithm, R&D, product, and strategic execution teams. Prior to Digital Diagnostics, Mark worked at Philips, where he successfully integrated startups and led teams to achieve significant growth targets.

Mark’s expertise spans more than 20 years with expertise managing critical patient care systems at the University of Maryland Medical Center to co-founding Analytical Informatics, a successful health IT startup acquired by Philips. He has a strong technical foundation with a B.S. in Computer Engineering from the Milwaukee School of Engineering and has contributed significantly to product development, operations, and international market launches in his engineering and product leadership roles.

Mark’s career exemplifies his ability to drive innovation, operational efficiency, and strategic growth in complex and dynamic environments.

Danika Dougherty is the Chief of Staff at Digital Diagnostics, where she is responsible for providing comprehensive support and strategic guidance to the company’s executive team.

She has a decade of experience in marketing, customer success, and sales in the healthcare and consumer product industries. Prior to joining Digital Diagnostics, Danika held several roles at Dyson, including National Account Manager for Amazon and Commercial Marketing Manager for Great Britian and Europe. Throughout her time at Dyson, she played a pivotal role in driving the company’s marketing initiatives, facilitating the distribution of marketing campaigns, leading international campaign launches, and helping to design the overarching global marketing strategy.

Danika holds a B.S. in Applied Mathematics from Columbia University and is pursuing a Master of Health Administration from the University of Iowa College of Public Health.

As Vice President of Product and Support at Digital Diagnostics, Andy Jones leads a team that is dedicated to helping further the company’s goal of positively impacting patient care through the deployment of AI diagnostic systems.

Andy brings more than a decade of experience in the healthcare industry specializing in professional services and customer success. Prior to joining Digital Diagnostics, Andy served as Manager of Professional Services at Zendesk, during which time he played a pivotal role in the growth and development of the Professional Services Team. Before Zendesk, Andy spent 8 years at Epic Systems Corporation in a number of different roles, overseeing successful enterprise multi-state implementations, building executive-level relationships across Epic customers, and supporting the growth of the Epic’s array of products.

Andy holds a B.A. in International Economics and Finance from Austin College Sherman and an M.A. in Global Affairs and Management from Thunderbird School of Global Management.

Jacque Engle is the Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Digital Diagnostics, where she is responsible for the company’s marketing, communication and public relations strategy and functions.

She has nearly a decade and a half of experience leading, mentoring and developing marketing and communications teams with a passion for creative problem solving and innovating new ways for tackling challenges. Jacque has deep expertise in implementing strategies to drive brand awareness and increase performance across multiple channels. She specializes in connecting data-driven insights to compelling marketing and communication strategies.

Prior to joining Digital Diagnostics, Jacque led several high-visibility marketing and communication teams at Nationwide and CenterPoint Properties. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in strategic communication and general business marketing from The Ohio State University.

Juli Goldstein serves as the Vice President of Government Affairs and Market Access at Digital Diagnostics, the company that brought the first fully autonomous AI cleared by the FDA for the detection of diabetic retinopathy to market.  In her role, Juli leads the efforts for establishing payment and reimbursement, strategic market access planning, policy engagement and the creation of real-world evidence. She also serves as Chair of AdvaMed’s Digital Health Technology Payment Work Group.

Prior to joining Digital Diagnostics, Juli led policy, reimbursement and commercial strategy across major medical device companies, including Medela LLC and Abbott Inc.  She has served as a leader with national and global payer organizations, including Kaiser Permanente where she authored clinical standards of care and health policy initiatives. 

Juli holds her Master’s degree in Health Science and International Health from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health and is credentialed as a Certified Professional Biller with the American Academy of Professional Coders.  

Meghan Lemerond is the Vice President of Customer Experience & Commercial Operations at Digital Diagnostics, where she is responsible for developing and leading a team that is passionate about driving the successful adoption and expansion of the company’s autonomous AI diagnostic systems.

She has a decade of experience cultivating and fostering customer relationships in the EdTech and MedTech industries with a passion for achieving desired outcomes in a meaningful way. By relying heavily on cross-functional partnerships, data-driven decision-making, and operational excellence, Meghan specializes in developing high-performing teams that deliver exceptional customer experiences, reduce churn, and drive growth.

Meghan earned a B.A. in Business Administration and Political Science from St. Norbert College.

Ali Satvat (Menlo Park) joined KKR in 2012. He co-leads the Health Care industry team within KKR’s Americas Private Equity platform and serves as Global Head of KKR’s Health Care Strategic Growth platform. He is a member of the Investment Committee and the Portfolio Management Committee for Americas Private Equity and chairs the Investment Committee and the Portfolio Management Committee for Health Care Strategic Growth. Mr. Satvat has served on multiple public and private boards of directors, including most recently Blue Sprig Pediatrics, BridgeBio Pharma, Clarify Health Solutions, Cordis, Digital Diagnostics, Geode Health, Headlands Research, Impel NeuroPharma, Paige.AI, Sapphiros, SkinSpirit, Treeline Biosciences, and Trilogy MedWaste, and has been actively involved with various historical investments such as Ajax Health, Arbor Pharmaceuticals, Coherus BioSciences, Eidos Therapeutics, Falcon Vision, GenesisCare, Gland Pharma, Panasonic Healthcare, PRA Health Sciences, Slayback Pharma, Spirox and Zeus Health.

Prior to joining KKR, Mr. Satvat was a principal with Apax Partners, where he focused on health care private equity and growth equity investments. Previously, he held various positions with Johnson & Johnson Development Corporation, Audax Group and The Blackstone Group. Mr. Satvat holds an A.B., magna cum laude, in History and Science from Harvard College and an M.B.A. in Health Care Management and Entrepreneurial Management from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He previously served as a member of the board of directors of the Healthcare Private Equity Association.

Stephen L. Weiss is a Managing Director at Cedar Pine LLC, a private investment firm specializing in strategic, long-term assets with expertise as operators and investors in healthcare, finance, and real estate.  He is responsible for direct investing in non-public companies with a focus on healthcare and technology.  He currently sits on the boards of Digital Diagnostics and Nimble Robotics and is also a board observer at Wasabi Technologies.  Steve has been a leader in the investment industry for over three decades working with some of the world’s most influential CEOs and investors.

Prior to joining Cedar Pine, Steve was the Founder and Managing Partner of Short Hills Capital Partners LLC and served in senior management and investment roles at Salomon Brothers, SAC Capital, and Lehman Brothers. Steve is an author of three books including The Billion Dollar Mistake: Learning the Art of Investing through the Missteps of Legendary Investors. He was also a Visiting Teaching Fellow at UNC’s Kenan Flagler Business School.  Since 2012, Steve has been a regular on The Halftime Report on CNBC, a leading business news network.

Senator William Frist, MD, is a nationally recognized heart and lung transplant surgeon, former U.S. Senate Majority Leader, founding partner of Frist Cressey Ventures and Special Partner of the health service investment firm Cressey & Company.

As a U.S. Senator representing Tennessee from 1994 -2006 (the first practicing physician elected to the Senate since 1928), Dr. Frist was elected Majority Leader of the Senate, having served fewer total years in Congress than any person chosen to lead that body in history. His leadership was instrumental in the passage of the 2003 Medicare Modernization Act that established Medicare Advantage and the historic PEPFAR legislation that has provided life-saving treatment globally to 20 million people.

Senator Frist graduated from Princeton University and Harvard Medical School, and completed surgical training at Massachusetts General Hospital and Stanford.

As a leading authority on virtual healthcare delivery, Senator Frist speaks nationally on health reform, government policy, global health, and education reform. He is Co-Chair of the Health Project at the Bipartisan Policy Center. His board service includes the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, and three publicly-traded companies: Select Medical, Teladoc Health, and Smile Direct Club.

Dr. Frist is married and has three sons and lives on a farm in Franklin, Tennessee.

Drew Oetting is co-founder and Managing Partner for 8VC, a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm which manages over $3.5B. Drew focuses on software, healthcare delivery, and bio-IT investments.

Drew serves on the Competitiveness Council of Cerberus. He is a board member of Thorn, a non-profit which builds technology to prevent child trafficking and LivingOnOne, an impact film making studio.

He is a board trustee for the Claremont McKenna Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, as well as at the Robert Day Financial Economics Institute

Drew grew up in Iowa City, Iowa and received a BS in math and economics from Claremont McKenna College.

Howard H. Leach is a business executive and private investor. He serves as president of Leach Capital, LLC, Palm Beach, Florida.  Howard served as the United States Ambassador to France from 2001 to 2005. He was a member of the Board of Regents of the University of California from 1990 to 2001 and served as chairman of that board from 1993 to 1995.

Howard has served as director of various companies, including president of Foley Timber and Land Company, Perry, Florida; chairman of Hunter Fan Company, Memphis, Tennessee; Shippers Development Company, Salinas, California; Dr. Pepper Company; the FL Aerospace Corporation (successor to Midland Ross Corporation); and Hibernia Bank and as chairman of Sybron Corporation and the Union Ice Company.

Howard is active in civic activities and serves on the Boards of The Society of the Four Arts, the Palm Beach Civic Association, the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach, The American Society of the French Legion of Honor, and the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He is also on the Board of the American Hospital of Paris Foundation. He was a member of the California State Board of Agriculture and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Committee on Agriculture.

Howard has been active in Republican politics for many years. He served as finance chairman of the Republican National Committee from 1995 to 1997. Howard is a graduate of Yale University and attended Stanford Graduate School of Business. He served as an officer in the U.S. Air Force from 1953 through 1955.

Howard and his wife, Gretchen, reside in Palm Beach, Florida.

Since joining UnitedHealth Group in 2009, Dr. Lisa Tseng has built and led businesses that have improved consumer experience and health outcomes while improving affordability. She currently serves as Executive Vice President, focusing on strategic partnerships and scaling innovative health solutions.

Dr. Tseng led the implementation of utilization management, quality improvement, provider enrollment and credentialing, claims service center, provider training, electronic visit verification, and program integrity services to support a $3.5 billion state program. She served as the CEO of Optum Complex Care Management, which is the market leader in delivering person-centric care to people with complex medical, behavioral, and long-term care needs in 36 states.

Dr. Tseng led the development and operation of a post-acute transition program in more than 47 markets and 30 states providing transitional care to members discharged from hospitals and nursing facilities. She designed the end-to-end clinical model, process, and system that enabled clinicians to be by the member’s side within 24 hours and with a full view of the member’s medical and pharmaceutical history.

Dr. Tseng led the development of urgent care clinics that provide on-demand access to high quality care at low prices in several states, including same-day labs and imaging, occupational health, and wellness programs. She led the advancement of Specialty Pharmacy Clinical Management Programs, which have improved member and provider experience, improved medication adherence, reduced hospitalizations and ER visits, and reduced total cost of care. Her team built an innovative, direct-to-consumer hearing aid business that reduced the cost of hearing aids by more than 70%, making hearing healthcare more accessible for 48 million Americans with hearing loss. The business received the Business Intelligence Group Award for Consumer Friendly Company of the Year.

Dr. Tseng served as Chief of Staff for UnitedHealthcare’s Public and Senior Markets Group including Medicare and Medicaid. She also served as Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at Fidelity Investments, Vice President of Corporate Integration Strategy for AARP Services, and management consultant at Oliver Wyman. Dr. Tseng holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Physiological Science and minor in Neuroscience from UCLA and Medical Degree from the UCLA School of Medicine. She served on the National Leadership Team of the American Medical Student Association and was the National President of the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association. Dr. Tseng has also served on the board of several community health clinics. She was the business chair for the Minneapolis Walk4Hearing.

She has been recognized by Modern Healthcare’s Up & Comers Award, Women’s Health Leadership TRUST, Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal Women in Business Award, Women Worth Watching, Business Journal Diversity in Business Award, and UnitedHealth Group Innovation Award. Dr. Tseng was also profiled in the Entrepreneur magazine, Managed Care magazine, and Diversity Journal.

Mayank is the Vice President of Venture Investments for OSF Ventures, the corporate investment arm of OSF HealthCare.

In this role, Mayank manages the venture program and leads efforts to invest in devices, diagnostics, emerging digital solutions and technology-enabled services that can improve patient outcomes or reduce costs to the Ministry.

Mayank joined OSF Ventures in 2016 as one of the early members of the venture team. He brings experience in the health care industry across multiple disciplines including the practice of medicine, working with early stage companies and supporting venture investments and innovation strategies. Mayank has been named one of Becker’s Hospital Review’s Rising Stars in Healthcare.

He currently serves as a board member on GYANT and a board bserver on InsightRx, CancerIQ, Digital Diagnostics, Exo Imaging, PhotoniCare, VIDA and Tailormed. Mayank also served as a board observer on Paradigm Diagnostics, Current Health, SilverCloud and CareSignal prior to their acquisitions.

Before joining the OSF Ventures team, Mayank worked with the usability services team at OSF HealthCare and helped medical device startups pilot their technologies and perform human factors studies for submission to the US Food and Drug Administration. He also assisted the OSF medical simulation for-profit spinoff, SIMNEXT LLC, with early business support and go-to-market strategy.

Prior to joining OSF HealthCare, Mayank worked at Zimmer Inc. in its post-market risk surveillance division as part of the Zimmer Leadership Program. He received his medical school degree from Maulana Azad Medical College in India and his MBA from The Ohio State University (Fisher College). Mayank practiced internal medicine for four years in New Delhi, India.