About the Pinnacle Group | return to main
Our People

David White, MBA 
Executive Director, Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting
David White is a partner in The Pinnacle Group and founding member of Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting. His professional focus has been geared towards building stronger provider relationships and identifying shared business opportunities for healthcare businesses. David is known as a creative thinker and problem solver with 20 years experience in healthcare organization management and consulting. His areas of expertise include new business development, health services valuation and financial analysis, healthcare market research, medical staff partnership planning and physician practice management consulting. During the past four years, Mr. White has managed over 300 hundred fair market value analyses. David has assisted health systems, community hospitals, rural hospitals, specialty health service providers, single and multi-specialty medical groups across the country. He has worked with national health plans regarding provider contracting and medical management issues. Prior to joining Pinnacle, David was a healthcare consultant with Milliman USA and a co-founder of Physician and Hospital Solutions. He also served as the Director of Planning and Practice Management for Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, California. David received his BBA in from the University of Colorado and his MBA with a focus in Healthcare Management from Cleveland State University.

Expertise
• Business and health services valuation
• Strategic planning and business development
• Physician-hospital relationships
• Financial analysis, forecasting and modeling
• Community needs assessment and medical staff planning
• Marketing research and product development
• Physician compensation planning and analysis

Professional Designations and Affiliations
• Chairman of the Board, AfterOurs, Inc. Urgent Care
• Member, Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development (SHSMD)
• Associate, American Society of Appraisers

Education
• MBA with an emphasis in Healthcare, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH
• BS, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO

Interests
• Golf on a warm day (preferably with several mulligans), skiing on a cold day
• Travel to fun and interesting places
• An evening out with good family and friends

Christopher Rehm, MHA, MBA 
Executive Director, Pinnacle Physician Resource Group
Chris Rehm is the founding partner of The Pinnacle Group. His professional experiences encompass business management, planning, consulting, marketing, auditing and education within various segments of the healthcare industry.  Chris has managed or consulted with more than thirty healthcare organizations. He has been active in strategic and operational management, as well as payer and facility negotiations for numerous practices.  Chris also works with a variety of physician groups and hospitals to develop programs to cover critical hospital-based physician services. He continues to consult on a wide variety of strategic and organizational initiatives for facilities and physician practices specializing in physician compensation, fair market value analysis and business venture feasibility. Additionally, Chris heads AfterOurs Urgent Care, Inc. - an innovative urgent care company incubated by Pinnacle. Chris earned his BBA from Boston College and his MBA and MHA from the University of Missouri- Columbia. He is active in several community charitable organizations.

Expertise
• Organizational management and leadership
• Strategic planning and business development
• Physician compensation and fair market value analysis
• Physician-hospital relationship development
• Medical practice development and operations management
• Health information technology planning and implementation
• Health plan contracting and negotiation
• Physician billing operations

Professional Designations and Affiliations
• Member, Colorado Medical Group Management Association (MGMA)
• Board of Advisors, Colorado Orthopedic Trauma Services, LLC (COTS)
• Board of Directors, Safehouse Denver

Education
• MHA, University of Missouri, Columbia
• MBA, University of Missouri, Columbia
• BS with an emphasis in Finance, Boston College University,  Boston, MA

Interests
• Baseball, dancing and concerts with my kids
• Wakeboarding and snowboarding
• Golf

Daniel Stech, MBA, CMPE 
Executive Director, Pinnacle Products and Innovation
Dan Stech is a healthcare business expert with over 20 years of experience in settings ranging from the health policy arena and health services research to physician practice management, association management and technology development. His professional focus is on hospital-physician relationships, physician compensation and regulatory compliance. In addition to consulting, Dan leads Pinnacle's Physician Fair Market Value (FMV) Program and other product initiatives. Dan is a partner in The Pinnacle Group and joined the firm in 2006 following an 11-year career with the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA). At MGMA, he held leadership positions in government affairs, healthcare consulting and between 2001 and 2006, was Director of Survey Operations. As Director of Survey Operations, Dan expanded the depth of performance measures observed by MGMA and firmed up MGMA's position as the market leader in physician data resources. Dan has authored numerous articles on practice management subjects and was coauthor of a book on the practice revenue development. He regularly speaks to industry groups having presented countless sessions for national, state and local health care organizations. Dan holds a BA in History from Benedictine College and a MBA from Marymount University. Dan is active in a number of industry associations including MGMA and Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA) and is a member of the Board of Directors of Colorado Healthcare Strategy and Management (CHSM). He received the credential of Certified Medical Practice Executive (CMPE) from the American College of Medical Practice Executives.

Expertise
• Fair market value (FMV) analysis
• Physician compensation and productivity analysis
• Physician practice management and improvement
• Strategic planning and business development
• Marketing research and product development
• Association management and planning
• Survey design and research project management

Professional Designations and Affiliations
• Certified Member, American College of Medical Practice Executives (CMPE)
• Member, Medical Group Management Association (MGMA)
• Member, Colorado Healthcare Strategy and Management (CHSM)
• Survey Advisory Committee, Healthcare Billing and Management Association (HBMA)

Education
• MBA, Marymount University, Arlington, VA
• BA, History, Benedictine College, Atchison, KS

Interests
• Having fun with the family
• Everything in the mountains - from fly fishing to skiing
• Tending to an endless list of projects around the house

William Johnson, CPA, MBA 
Senior Consultant
Mr. Johnson offers a wide range of healthcare experience to The Pinnacle Group that includes nearly 30 years of executive leadership. Bill’s professional experiences include strategic planning, business development, physician recruiting, operational management of large physician practices in multiple locations, outreach development, financial operations, business / practice mergers and acquisitions, physician / hospital joint ventures, selection of practice management and electronic health systems for practices. He also has significant experience in third-party contracting, hospital / physician integration strategies, physician compensation models and tax planning for strategic decisions. Within Pinnacle, Bill provides financial and strategic direction as well as consulting on client engagements. Prior to joining Pinnacle, Bill served 14 years as a Vice President of Finance with the HealthONE Hospital System and more recently, 15 years as a Chief Executive Officer for Western Cardiology Associates and Aurora Denver Cardiology Associates PC, (the largest cardiology group practice in the metro Denver market place). Bill was actively involved in providing strategic leadership and organizational direction for a large cardiology group practice encompassing all sub specialties in cardiology and 150 employees offering cardiac care in Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska. He developed and provided Board direction to three separate business entities encompassing under arrangement cardiac cath laboratories in Aurora, Denver, and Durango, Colorado. Bill’s also worked with Coopers & Lybrand Certified Public Accountants in both their Chicago and Denver offices with a focus on financial auditing and tax planning for individual and corporate clients. Bill holds a BSBA in Accounting from Colorado State University as well as an MBA with an emphasis in Finance from Regis University. In his free time, Bill enjoys the serenity of fly-fishing in Colorado’s rivers and streams. He additionally enjoys other forms of outdoor recreation such as playing tennis and mountain biking. However, don’t peg him as your standard Colorado resident. His interests are as varied as they are unique. Just ask him about his interest in amateur radio!

Expertise
• Strategic planning and business development
• Physician / hospital relationships and joint ventures
• Financial analysis, forecasting and modeling
• Physician compensation planning and analysis
• Physician practice mergers and acquisitions

Professional Designations and Affiliations
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Colorado
• Member, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
• Member, Colorado Society of Certified Public Accountants
• Member, Medical Group Management Association (MGMA)

Education
• MBA with an emphasis in Finance, Regis University, Denver, CO
• BSBA in Accounting, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO

Interests
• The Great Outdoors
• Tennis
• Amateur radio

James Connors, III, MBA, ASA, CFA 
Director, Valuation Services
James Connors' professional focus has been geared toward providing business and securities valuation services to enable clients to make better decisions and reduce their exposure to compliance issues. Jim has over 20 years experience in business valuation, financial, and marketing consulting. Jim joined Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting in 2008, following eight years with Quist Valuation. At Quist, he led the transactions services group, providing middle market clients with valuation analyses performed for mergers, acquisitions and corporate finance, fairness opinions, purchase price allocations as well as goodwill and intangible asset impairment. Additionally, he performed valuations for executive compensation, gift and estate tax compliance, and employee stock ownership plans. During the past eight years, Jim has managed and / or reviewed over four hundred valuation engagements. He has written articles on valuation techniques and analyses on SEC, FASB and IRS rulings and regulations. Jim earned his BA in Economics from the University of Virginia and his MBA with an emphasis in Finance from the University of Colorado, Denver. He has also earned credentials as a Charter Financial Analyst and as a certified senior appraiser with the American Society of Appraisers.

Expertise
• Business, securities and intangible asset valuation
• Fair value accounting for business combinations and financial reporting
• Transaction and corporate finance advisory
• Financial analysis, forecasting and modeling
• Acquisition analysis and due diligence
• Competitor and market analysis

Professional Designations and Affiliations
• Chartered Financial Analyst, CFA Institute / CFA Colorado
• Accredited Senior Appraiser, American Society of Appraisers

Education
• MBA with an emphasis in Finance, University of Colorado, Denver, CO
• BA, Economics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA

Interests
• Mountain biking
• Skiing
• Golf

Lucas Hutchison, MHA 
Senior Healthcare Consultant / Senior Practice Manager
Lucas' professional experiences encompass business operations, strategic and market planning, and financial analysis as well as planning for healthcare organizations. He has served in various capacities, ranging from an operating room technician to an administrative resident for senior hospital leadership. Lucas joined Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting  / The Pinnacle Group in 2003 and is responsible for market research, medical staff planning projects, physician practice implementation and management consulting projects. He has been active in numerous physician practice start-ups and ongoing practice management. In addition, he has served as a consultant for health systems, community hospitals, rural hospitals, specialty health service providers, single and multi-specialty medical groups across the country. Lucas leads Front Range Primary Care, a practice management solution by Pinnacle. Lucas earned his BA in Health Sciences from James Madison University and his MHA from The Medical College of Virginia.

Expertise
• Physician practice development and management
• Operations improvement
• Financial analysis and modeling
• Business and practice valuation
• Physician compensation and fair market value (FMV) analysis
• Market research
• Strategic planning
• Medical staff development

Professional Designations and Affiliations
• Member, Medical Group Management Association (MGMA)
• Member, Colorado Medical Group Management Association (MGMA)

Education
• MHA, Virginia Commonwealth University - Medical College of Virginia Campus, Richmond, VA
• BS in Health Sciences, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA

Interests
• Fly fishing
• Skiing
• Golf

Jana Sizemore, MBA, AM 
Consultant
Jana Sizemore specializes in the valuation of healthcare entities and assets, focusing on transactions and financial arrangements for public and private companies. She has provided valuation and consulting services to law firms, healthcare systems, and healthcare providers across the country. Jana has significant experience valuing ambulatory surgery centers, dialysis centers, imaging centers, cath labs, hospitals and many other types of healthcare facilities. She has also valued a variety of healthcare businesses, including medical practices that range from one to several dozen physicians and encompass a wide variety of medical and surgical specialties.  Her prior experience encompasses business valuation of privately held companies for tax and financial reporting purposes and investment banking in the municipal, fixed income sector. Jana earned her BS in Actuarial Science from Butler University (Indiana) and MBA from the University of Denver. She is an Accredited Member of the American Society of Appraisers in the business valuation discipline.

Expertise
• Financial analysis, forecasting and modeling
• Business and practice valuations
• Financial advisory                       

Professional Designations and Affiliations
• Accredited Member, American Society of Appraisers (ASA)

Education
• MBA with an emphasis in Finance, University of Denver, Denver, CO
• BS, Actuarial Science, Butler University, Indianapolis, IN

Interests
• Hiking
• Skiing
• Junior League of Denver

Michele Olivier, CPC, CPMA  
Revenue Cycle & Coding Consultant
For the past 15 years, revenue cycle management and coding have been Michele’s professional focus. Her expertise in these areas complement Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting’s existing core services of physician compensation, business valuations and hospital and physician integration by adding depth to revenue cycle reviews. This unique perspective offers clients additional value, which further differentiates Pinnacle from other compensation companies.  Michele began her career with The Pinnacle Group as Billing Manager in 2007, where she oversaw a team comprised of coders, billers, payment posters and data entry personnel. In that role, Michele managed billing operations for diverse specialties that ranged from primary care and OBGYN to bariatric and cardiovascular surgery. Prior to joining Pinnacle, Michele gained valuable experience in a variety of companies. In previous roles, she held practice management positions, assisted with accounts receivable, human resources, payroll, hospital and insurance credentialing, Colorado state licensing, new hire orientation and personnel training.  Additionally, she implemented training and compliance for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) programs as well as served in managerial roles regarding patient billing and collections for both Medicare and private insurance companies.

Expertise
• Medical billing and collection
• Correct coding and compliance
• Fee schedules
• Credentialing
• Contracting
• Practice management systems and electronic health records (EHR)

Applications Knowledge
• Ingenix CareTracker
• Misys Tiger
• Lytec / Eclipse / Medical Manager

 Professional Designations and Affiliations
• CPC & CPMA, American Academy of Professional Coders, (AAPC)
• Marketing Committee, Colorado Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA)
• Board Member, Colorado Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA)

Interests
• Cooking and writing
• Enjoying city life
• Music

Alan Ashinhurst 
Consultant
Alan Ashinhurst serves as a consultant for Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting, joining in 2011 after two years as a practice administrator for a multi-state urgent care facility. He brings with him multiple years of experience in various healthcare fields and positions to assist hospital and physician offices with clinical and management needs. His expertise includes practice management, technology - electronic health records (EHR), and process and efficiency improvement. Alan's focus on managing physicians, staff, and community relations brings a level of understanding and expertise to Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting in an operational capacity within the Coding and Audit Division. Alan has a strong clinical background working as a Radiologic Technologist in diagnostic imaging, endoscopy, special procedures, and traumatic burn units as well as a sister company of The Pinnacle Group. Alan has additionally worked as an admissions clerk in the Emergency Room and a ward clerk for the Post Anesthesia Recovery Room, giving him several years of hands on experience in patient care and customer service. He received an AS in Radiologic Technology and BS in Health Services Administration from Washburn University.

Expertise
• Practice management and operation
• Practice management systems and electronic health records (EHR)
• Contracting
• Physician relations
• Process and efficiency improvement

Professional Designations and Affiliations
• Member, American Registry of Radiologic Technologist
• Member, American Society of Radiologic Technologist

Education
• AS, Radiologic Technology, Washburn University, Topeka, KS
• BS, Health Services Administration, Washburn University, Topeka, KS
• Completed study with The Leadership Institute

Interests
• Cooking
• Life in the city
• Music

Alana Erickson, CPC 
Consultant
Alana Erickson serves as a practice management and coding consultant with Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting, which continues to add depth and value to revenue cycle reviews. She brings over 21 years of experience in various healthcare management positions to assist hospitals, physician practices and other provider organizations with performance improvement needs. Alana’s expertise spans the spectrum of healthcare delivery in metropolitan, rural, hospital and physician practice settings. She offers a wealth and variety of knowledge in practice management and operations as well as revenue cycle management services including compliance, physician practice audits, physician billing guidelines, practice management, and electronic health record (EHR) systems analysis / implementations. Alana’s professional background includes director roles, where she was responsible for physician relationships, information technology and business support for critical access hospitals and rural health clinics. Past roles also include service as liaison or consultant for specialty groups in health system EHR implementation projects. She served as a practice administrator for a medium sized cardiology and cardiovascular surgical group, where she managed strategic planning, daily operations, third-party contracting, system implementations, financial management, benefits administration, and management of staff and key relationships. Most notably, Alana’s experience boasts management of all business operations for a multi-specialty group of 80+ physicians. With Alana’s array of capabilities, she has assisted in providing strategic and operational management, physician recruitment, rollout of practice management and EHR systems, human resources and a variety of key services necessary for integration.

 

Expertise
• Physician practice and billing guideline audits
• Revenue cycle process improvement
• Practice management and operations
• Practice management systems and electronic heatlh records (EHR)
• Contracting
• Credentialing

Professional Designations and Affiliations
• CPC, American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC)
• Provider Outreach Education Advisory Group Member, Noridian Government Services
• Program Committee, Colorado Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA)

Education
• BS, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO
• Electronic Medical Records Adoption (EMRA) Certificate, North Idaho College, Coeur d'Alene, ID

Interests
• Running
• Riding my mountain bike on trails
• Nature

Mike Stone, MCSE 
Chief Technical Officer
Mike has spent his professional career bridging the technical and business worlds. Mike joined The Pinnacle Group in 2002. As a result of his experience in the high tech sector, Mike has extensive knowledge of networking, remote access, TCT / IP, e-mail and web development. Mike has focused his skills on enhancing the IT infrastructure at Pinnacle to enable more efficient customer interaction with both billing and strategic management activities. Mike has participated in the launch of multiple office-based practices.  His roles in these activities include setting up phone systems, managing web and e-mail domains, developing websites, designing and implementing LANs, managing secure internet connections and deploying remote access to Pinnacle's billing and scheduling systems. As CTO, Mike leads all billing and practice management client IT / automation impelmentations, including the deployment of electronic medical record (EHR) applications.

Expertise
• Networking
• Remote access
• Web development
• Office-based practice launches
• Secure internet connection management

Interests
• Coaching and watching baseball
• Anything electronic, from computers to audio gadgets
• Hiking with the family

Kelly McFadden 
Consultant
Kelly joined Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting in April 2008, bringing with her previous consulting experience resolving operational, regulatory, and financial issues for healthcare organizations.  Currently, Kelly supports consulting engagements including fair market value reviews of physician compensation, business plan development, financial and market analysis, community needs assessments and physician practice start-up and management assistance.  She also provides client support to participants in Pinnacle’s innovative FMV program as well as supporting AfterOurs Inc. initiatives and Pinnacle Medical Billing activities. Prior to joining Pinnacle, Kelly worked as a research associate with DGA partners, a healthcare consulting firm located in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area.  During this time, Kelly worked on a broad range projects covering a variety of healthcare topics.  She monitored and analyzed healthcare industry trends and policy changes; performed market research and competitive analysis for strategic planning, litigation support, and business valuation engagements; conducted feasibility studies involving utilization and financial projections for an urgent care center, freestanding emergency room, and other specialized facilities; provided research and analysis for medical staff plans; maintained and analyzed fee-schedule databases for several large provider organizations; and specialized in performing specialty-specific community need assessments and fair market value physician compensation analyses. Kelly’s background also includes biomedical laboratory research for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and coaching field hockey.  Kelly earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and plans to pursue graduate studies in healthcare management.  

Expertise
• Physician compensation planning and analysis
• Community needs assessment and medical staff planning
• Healthcare industry trends and policy research
• Financial analysis, forecasting and modeling
• Business plan development

Professional Designations and Affiliations
• Member, Colorado Healthcare Strategy and Management (CHSM)

Education
• MHA (2013), University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO
• BA, Health and Societies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

Interests
• Coaching and playing field hockey
• Playing with my dog
• Becoming a Broncos fan

Kimberly Berkey 
Marketing & Client Development
Kimberly leads marketing initiatives, client development, communications, financial services and other client relations management. She additionally assists with the execution of ongoing promotion and development related to the Physician Fair Market Value (FMV) Program. She joined the team in 2009 and performs a variety of organizational and unique project management responsibilites which include: research and analysis, web development, branding and identity, product development, accounts receivable, etc. Kimberly's experience also includes event planning, marketing and fundraising for numerous organizations, both non-profit and independent. She is currently active in Colorado's division of the American Lung Association Leadership Council, a philanthropic organization for young professionals, has volunteered with at risk homeless youth, and volunteers for various events in the Denver community. Kimberly earned a BA in Mass Media Communication as well as a BFA in Art and ArtHistory from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech).

Expertise
• Marketing initiatives
• Client development & customer service
• Communications
• Web content and development
• New media marketing
• Credentialing

Professional Designations and Affiliations
• Sponsorship Member, Colorado Healthcare Strategy and Management (CHSM)
• Member, Society for Helathcare Strategy and Market Development (SHSMD)

Education
• BA, Mass Media Communication, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
• BFA, Fine Art, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
• Minors: Art History and Leadership, Diversity & Social Change, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA

Interests
• Fine art, photography, and writing
• Running, hiking, camping (anything with The Great Outdoors)
• Volunteering in the community and event planning for charity organizations

Drew Hoffman 
Senior Analyst
Drew joined Pinnacle Healthare Consulting during the Summer of 2010. As Analyst, he supports Pinnacle’s healthcare physician compensation, valuation and appraisal divisions, with a focus on fair market value analysis of professional service arrangements. He additionally provides market research, financial analysis and business plan development. Prior to joining Pinnacle, Drew interned at Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., a company known as one of the world's largest insurance brokerage and risk management service firms that provides a full range of retail and wholesale property/casualty (P/C) brokerage and alternative risk transfer services, as well as employee benefit brokerage, consulting and actuarial services. During his time at Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., he created a 401k portfolio performance benchmarking template, composed requests for proposal and insurance renewal materials and participated in a regional intern project. In his free time, Drew enjoys participating in outdoor activities such as wake boarding and playing softball. Drew additionally enjoys attending listings on the silver screen when he is not participating in Colorado’s outdoor recreation.

Expertise
• Physician compensation planning and analysis
• Healthcare industry trends and policy research
• Financial analysis, forecasting and modeling
• Business plan development

Professional Designations and Affiliations
• Member, Colorado Healthcare Strategy and Management (CHSM)

Education
• BS, Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO
• Minor in Economics and certificate in Quantitive Finance, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO

Interests
• The Great Outdoors
• Wake boarding
• Playing softball

Christopher Fete, JD, MHA 
Senior Analyst
Christopher joined Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting in 2011. As a Senior Analyst, he supports Pinnacle’s consulting engagements including fair market value reviews of physician compensation, Key Opinion Leader analysis, business plan development, financial and market analysis, community needs assessments and physician practice start-up / management assistance. Prior to joining Pinnacle, Christopher was an administrative intern for a children’s medical center in St. Louis, MO. As a team leader, he assisted in the development and organization of a patient access-line for Maternal Services between two hospitals. In past positions, Christopher served as a clerk in the states of Michigan and Missouri. He assisted attorneys in all aspects of trial preparation, memorandum and analysis of complex legal issues related to medical center operations. Christopher has researched and prepared service arrangements, employee contracts, as well as compliance issues specifically related to Stark Law, False Claims Act, Fraud and Abuse, and Anti-Kickback Statutes. He has additionally reviewed and analyzed university agreements with physicians, pharmaceutical companies, and service providers. In his free time, Christopher enjoys participating in outdoor activities such as mountain biking, kayaking, camping and hiking. He additionally enjoys lending a hand with community service projects and was an assistant high school varsity lacrosse coach for several years before moving to Denver.

Expertise
• Physician key opinion leader compensation planning and analysis
• Regulatory and compliance analysis
• Healthcare industry trends and policy research
• Financial analysis, forecasting and modeling
• Strategic planning and business development

Professional Designations and Affiliations
• Member, American Health Lawyers Association (AHLA)

Education
• JD, St. Louis University School of Law and School of Public Health, St. Louis, MO
• MHA, St. Louis University School of Law and School of Public Health, St. Louis, MO
• BA, Creighton University, Omaha, NE
• Additional: Health Law Certificate, Health Law Association, Moot Court

Interests
• Family
• Community service
• Camping and hiking