Blue Chip people are experts in all aspects of surgery center development. As leaders in the field, we have developed a number of clinical and business best practices. Our passionate team is physician-led and dedicated to the success of the small number of projects on which we focus every year.
Richard A. Roski, M.D., F.A.C.S. - Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Roski has an engineering degree and MBA from Purdue University, and received his medical degree from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. His Neurosurgical training was completed at Case Western Reserve's affiliated hospitals. Dr. Roski was an Assistant Professor of surgery at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. For the last 20 years, he has been the managing partner of Quad City Neurosurgical Associates P.C. in Davenport, Iowa. Dr. Roski is board certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He has been very active nationally with issues of physician reimbursement and practice management and has lectured extensively on these topics.
For many years, Dr. Roski has overseen and helped teach the Reimbursement and Coding courses for the AANS. He helped develop and worked on the AANS reimbursement committee and has served as the CNS advisor to the AMA CPT editorial panel. Dr. Roski has been a long-standing member of NASS, was President of the CNS in 1994 and has served on the board of directors of the AANS.
Beth Ann Johnson, RN, BS - Vice President of Clinical Systems
Ms. Johnson joined Blue Chip Surgical from LCA Vision where she was Vice President of Operations responsible for the growth of the ophthalmic surgery center business. Previously, Beth was with Aetna as Director of Provider Relations, Recruitment & Contracting for the tri-state region. She has extensive experience in the development and ongoing management of hospital-owned, minimally invasive surgery centers. She began her career as a Registered Nurse in the operating room, rapidly advancing to Director of Surgical Services, supervising 13 operating rooms and the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit in Cincinnati’s Good Samaritan Hospital, a major tertiary care medical center.
Ms. Johnson obtained her RN diploma from the Jewish Hospital School of Nursing, Cincinnati, Ohio, and her Bachelor of Science degree in Healthcare Management from the College of Mt. St. Joseph, also in Cincinnati.
Tom Harris, RN, BS - Vice President, Operations
Thomas Harris RN, BSN serves as Vice President of Operations for Blue Chip Surgical. He joined Blue Chip from Health Inventures where Tom was a Regional executive responsible for financial and clinical operations of surgical centers on a national basis. Additionally, Tom provided support, to an Orthopedic Surgical Hospital in, England. Tom was once an Administrator for hospital-owned, minimally invasive surgery centers in Nashville and Indianapolis. He began his career as a Registered Nurse in the operating room, advancing to Manager of Surgical Service Lines responsible for multiple specialties both in the inpatient and outpatient arenas in Cincinnati’s Good Samaritan Hospital, a major tertiary care medical center. Tom has completed certifications in CASC and CNOR.
Kathleen Whitlow - Vice President, Operations
Kathleen Whitlow joined Blue Chip in April 2008 as Vice President, Operations. She has more than 25 years of experience in the medical/healthcare industry, working in a variety of capacities and positions. For Health Inventures, Kathleen worked as an ASC administrator and consultant with expertise in development, marketing, operations and strategic planning in support of facilities in Colorado, New Jersey and Kentucky. She has also helped develop and directed the outpatient and ambulatory surgery programs at a large national hospital chain, and served as an advisor/consultant to a group of attorneys representing physicians.
Kathleen has a nursing and business background, combining expertise in both the financial and clinical sides of the ASC business. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Indiana Wesleyan University and a nursing degree from Midway College. She is CASC-certified.
Michael Peabody - Vice President, Operations
Michael came to Blue Chip from Earnhart and Associates, where he was Senior Vice President of Development responsible for development and operations of surgery centers. Prior to that, Michael was Operations Manager for Johnson & Johnson's Ambulatory Surgery division. In this role, he had national responsibility for the pre-operations development of hospital outpatient surgery departments and freestanding hospital ASC’s managed by J&J. In this capacity, Michael opened 18 multi-specialty ambulatory surgery centers. In addition, he had Regional Management responsibility for J&J's California ASCs. Michael was once a senior executive with the Children’s Medical Center in Dayton, Ohio. He currently is a certified surveyor for the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care. Michael has BS and MBA degrees.
Elizabeth Smallwood - Vice President, Contracting and Reimbursement
Prior to joining Blue Chip Surgical Partners, Elizabeth was the Director of Contracting for Humana, responsible for provider network development and provider contracting. Before Humana, Ms Smallwood was with the largest independent public accounting firm in the State of Florida working as a consultant to physicians and hospitals on issues centered on contracting. Also in Florida, Ms. Smallwood was once Executive Director of North Broward Hospital's physician group. Elizabeth's executive-level experience in managed care has also included various provider network development and management positions with Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Aetna/US Healthcare, and Private Healthcare Systems (PHCS). Elizabeth was once responsible for Operations of the Mayfield Clinic, a large neurosciences group with 21 neurosurgeons.
Vicki Dekker - Manager, Business Office Operations
Vicki has extensive experience with coding, billing, collections and business office operations for ear, nose, throat, and spine physicians. Prior to joining Blue Chip Surgical, she was responsible for the Business Office supporting the 40 physicians of the ENT, Neurosurgery, and Neurology Departments at the University of Minnesota. Previously, Vicki managed an ENT Group in Atlanta, where she developed and managed a single-specialty ENT surgery center.
Jeff Leland - Managing Partner
Jeff served as Executive Director, Lutheran General Medical Group, a 260-physician, multi-specialty medical group located in Chicago. Jeff was once a senior-level executive with Advocate Health Care in Chicago, responsible for both Business Development and Advocate's 225,000-member health plan. He also served as President of HealthSpring Medical Group, a primary care medical group that was acquired by Met Life & Travelers, and as Chief Executive Officer of Western Ohio Health Care, an HMO with 200,000+ members, which was acquired by United HealthCare. He is an alumnus of the Harvard Business School with undergraduate studies at the University of Cincinnati.
Jay Rom - President
Prior to joining Blue Chip Surgical, Jay served as CEO of a cardiology group in Cincinnati with 15 physicians and was Vice President for Physician Services of the Franciscan Health System, where he was responsible for a 60-physician multi-specialty group. Jay was also a member of the start-up team, which created and launched a venture capital-backed physician practice management company based in Dayton, Ohio. Jay was once Finance Director/Controller of a 200,000+ member HMO that was acquired by United HealthCare, where he continued after the acquisition as an executive responsible for UHC's accounting and finance. Jay has an MBA and holds a CPA license.