
HES principals are senior executives with deep operating experience in fast-growth public and private enterprises in almost every segment of the health care industry.
Our principals have served in top leadership roles throughout their careers, including Chairman, CEO, COO, CFO, Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Medical Officer, Chief Technology Officer and as heads of operations, finance, informatics, corporate development and business development. We have also served on Boards of Directors and Investment Committees.
We work as part our Client's Management Team, directing our energies toward understanding the environment, defining practical solutions and providing guidance in implementation.
We bring our deep experience to identifying solutions that will enable our Clients to remain or become market leaders.
Where scale is required, HES principals will engage associates as needed, building for our Clients a combined Team of inside staff and outside advisors, while remaining the key contact person with responsibility for project results throughout the engagement.
Kevin F. Hickey
Kevin Hickey is founder/principal of HES Advisors. He is a 35-year veteran of the U.S. health insurance, health services and health information technology sectors. His roles have included investor, advisor, CEO, senior executive, board director, industry leader, change agent and business model innovator.
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Kevin's recent and past roles include:
- President, D2Hawkeye Inc. (now VeriskHealth), health care clinical business intelligence and data mining company. Assisted company in a successful growth capital financing and strategic investment. Sold to Verisk.
- Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of IntelliClaim, Inc., a privately-held application service provider that provided U.S. insurers with capabilities for enhancing claim processing accuracy and efficiency. Inc. Magazine 500 Deloitte "Fast 50". Sold to McKesson Corp (NYSE:MCK).
- Executive Vice President of Operations and Technology for Oxford Health Plans. Responsible for systems and operations in turn-around setting. Acquired by UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH).
- Founder and Chairman, Health Plans of America, Inc., management services outsourcer, privately financed and sold to United Payors and United Providers (NASDAQ: UPUP).
- Chairman of industry collaborative organization, National Electronic Information Clearinghouse (NEIC), and oversaw its sale to Envoy in 1995. Now part of Emdeon.
- Senior Vice President, US Operations, Aetna Health Plans
- Senior Vice President, Eastern U.S., Lincoln National Life
- General Counsel, Vice President of Development, MetLife Health Care
- Positions at University of Michigan Hospitals, American Hospital Association, First Health Associates
Kevin is a current and past director of several public and privately held companies.
Education
Harvard College, A.B.
University of Michigan, M.H.S.A.
Loyola College of Law, J.D.

Nellie O'Gara
Nellie O'Gara has more than 35 years of experience in the health care industry as a manager, analyst, and strategy consultant. In this role she has helped over 250 hospitals, physician groups and payer organizations in the areas of growth strategy, new business and product startups, joint ventures, risk management, conflict resolution, and governance.
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Ms. O'Gara is a co-founder of HES Advisors, Inc. She is a 30-year veteran in hospital system strategy, hospital owned and provider–related business strategies. She is well known for her work in designing and facilitating leadership decision processes and retreats for boards and corporate management of both for-profit and not-for-profit hospitals and healthcare organizations, and is highly regarded for her role in developing hospital/physician joint ventures, multi-specialty medical groups, and provider-payor risk arrangements.
Ms. O'Gara started her career in 1974 at Waterbury Hospital (CT) with responsibility for strategic planning, government relations, physician led operations and support services. In 1978, she joined Arthur D. Little, Inc. (Cambridge, MA), where her consulting practice focused on improving Board performance and strategic planning for hospitals. While at ADL, Ms. O'Gara was recruited to the newly created position of manager of corporate planning for the American Hospital Association (AHA), in which role she authored the first Environmental Assessment of the U.S. Hospital Industry. She also provided strategic planning assistance to 21 statewide hospital associations and the AHA Board.
In 1981, recognizing the coming growth opportunity in PPOs and HMOs, Ms. O'Gara founded First Health Associates, Inc. to provide assistance to sponsors of a new generation of managed care organizations. As president, Ms. O'Gara led major projects for medical centers, health care systems, medical groups and insurers. She also launched and spun off several related businesses, including an IPA management company. Under her guidance, First Health Associates provided service and counsel to over 225 health care provider and payer organizations.
Ms. O'Gara is also a successful entrepreneur in financial services, hospitality and retail personal care. She is a frequent speaker and author of articles on subjects ranging from joint ventures, physician/hospital collaboration, strategic planning and marketing.
Education
Purdue University, B.S.
Yale University, M.P.H. - Hospital Administration

Ralph O'Brien
Ralph O'Brien is a partner of HES Advisors, Inc. He has served in numerous senior positions within the Health Insurance Industry focusing on identifying and capitalizing on opportunities to improve medical costs and patient's health and well-being. He has a keen understanding of medical cost and utilization data combined with a detailed understanding of the insurance and health care industry which enables him to create innovative and cost effective approaches to managing medical costs.
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- As Senior Vice President, Clinical Operations with United Healthcare, Ralph was responsible for all field based activities as well as numerous national based initiatives to manage a fully insured medical cost spend of approximately $8 billion and to drive savings of up to $200 million per year. The approach was data driven, focusing on producing positive ROIs, establishing stretch goals and establishing accountability to meet them.
- Ralph is an expert in data analytics and financial models. Ralph was Chief Operating Officer Northern Division and held Senior Financial Management roles in several companies. As COO he was responsible for Hospital and Physician contracting on a national level for both Commercial and Medicare products.
- Ralph created and implemented a physician data sharing that was able to track physician billing activity by episode of care and severity of illness across all specialties and then contrast each physician’s results to geographic peer groups.
- Ralph has served as a Chief Financial Officer for several payer organizations and managed the Financial Reporting, Budgeting, Forecasting, Cash Management, Pricing and Underwriting Functions. His strengths are naturally taking a leadership role guiding the organization onto a path of superior growth and profitability. He has the unique ability to translate his detailed knowledge of the financial and operating data of the organization into strategic initiatives in an effort to enable the organization to compete effectively in the marketplace.
- Ralph also has extensive experience leading efforts in the mergers, acquisitions and dispositions of Health Plans and related entities. He has conducted successful negotiations for the purchase and sale of several HMO’s. In addition, he headed up numerous due diligence teams focused on assessing the financial viability and operational capabilities of potential acquisitions. Once acquired he served as a key member of the transition team focused on integrating finances, data and reporting, care and disease management programs and provider networks.
Education
St Bonaventure University, BBA
Education
BSBA (Cum Laude) |
Suffolk University, Boston, MA |
MBA (Honors) |
Suffolk University, Boston, MA |
Certification & Licenses
Health & Life Insurance |
License |
Project Management Institute |
PMP Certification |
Boston University |
PMP Certification |
Project Management Institute |
PMI Agile Certified Practitioner PMI-ACP (in process) |
Microsoft |
MS Project Certified Practitione (in process) |
Board of Directors
Director |
Managed Care Executive Group |
Chairman of Board |
Information Technology Association of America – eHealth Group |
Director |
Information Technology Association of America – Internet |
Honors
Consultant of the Year |
National Association of Professional Women |
Service Excellence Award |
Medica Health Plans |
Speaking Engagements
Technical Advancements in HealthCare |
Gartner Group - Healthcare Informatics Technologies (HIT) |
Claims Processing Optimization |
HealthCare Claims Management Summit |
Samuel W. Levitt, ScD, CFA
Sam Levitt brings over 30 years of broad health care industry experience, with an emphasis on financial planning and analysis, financial operations, M&A integration, and managed care.
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- Supported hospital consortium with shared expense saving initiatives generating $2+ Million annually, offsetting ongoing investments in value-based care capabilities
- Developed and managed financial planning, reporting and expense management department for managed care product lines representing over $25 Billion in revenues and $2 Billion in expenses for national managed care company
- Integrated acquired Medicare and Medicaid managed care product lines, with over $10 Billion in revenues, into financial planning, reporting and expense management processes
- Provided managed care and health services industry analysis for equity investors, leveraging a broad array of data and information, including GAAP and statutory financial statements
- Assisted national employer in selection and implementation of managed care employee health benefits – medical and behavioral – for over one million covered lives
- Instructor for "Financial Transactions and Analysis" course at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Education
University of Pennsylvania, B.A.
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, M.S. and Sc.D. (Doctor of Science), Health Policy & Management
CFA Charterholder (Chartered Financial Analyst)

Bethany Narkiewicz
Bethany is a consulting member of HES Advisors. She brings over thirteen years of experience in health care strategy and organizational change, as well as a marketing & sales perspective. Bethany is known for her ability to define project strategies, perform program management and execute to deliver results. She is focused, diligent and always strives to surpass client expectations.
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Professional Hightlights:
- Served as Project Manager for a strategic alliance of 5 health systems in Connecticut from conceptual design through operations. Efforts included support for key initiatives in payer contracting, shared services development, clinical integration and population health management as well as communication with executive staff and analytics to support efforts
- Served as Interim Director of Growth supporting the VP of Strategic Planning and Business Development for large Midwest hospital. Efforts were focused on organizational and service line strategic planning as well as enhancing hospital-physician relationships through risk-sharing, co-management agreements and innovative partnerships
- Managed project for 500-bed hospital to create strategic roadmap to build an integrated system of care requiring solid understanding of market environment, Health Reform, and CMS guidelines
- Managed multi-dimensional project for two states in the process of establishing a State Health Insurance Exchange as directed by the Affordable Care Act
- Supported health plan and hospital executives in identifying operational efficiencies, evaluating opportunities for improvement and executing change
- Developed analytical tools and performed statistical analysis of claims and cost report data to assist health plans in negotiations with providers. Trained contracting staff to use tools, data and frameworks to achieve fair payment with providers
- Served as a Customer Relationship Management Consultant for Accenture in Health & Life Sciences
Education
Indiana University, B.A.

Doug Thompson
Doug Thompson is a senior consulting member of HES Advisors. He is a strategic senior executive with leadership experience in managed care, accountable care, government, and health care delivery. Doug has a proven track record in delivering impressive strategic and bottom-line results in the public and private sectors through leadership, policy development, financing, change management and implementation. He is a senior consultant to government agencies, health care plans and systems, and Fortune 1000 companies as well as a business development executive experienced in selling to the federal and state markets.
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Experience 2007-2016
- Neighborhood Health Plan of Massachusetts, Chief Financial Officer and Partners Healthcare, VP, Population Health Finance. Doug oversaw the financial improvement of a growing health plan in collaboration with CEO. He led all financial and provider network management operations for a 450,000 member, $2+ Billion health insurer, including oversight and improvement in all of the following functions: provider network management; budgeting, accounting and financial reporting; medical economics; actuarial and underwriting; COB/TPL and provider audit; and risk score accuracy. Doug managed a two-year, projected $130 Million operating income improvement effort through significant premium revenue enhancement, medical expense reduction, and administrative cost reduction strategies.
- Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island, Interim Chief Financial Officer. As Interim Chief Financial Officer, Doug championed strong financial performance throughout a 145,000 member, $860 Million organization, while developing and executing financial strategies, overseeing all budgeting activities, and assuring company compliance with federal and state regulatory agencies.
- Cambridge Health Alliance, Chief Administrative Officer, Accountable Care Organization. Doug led the operational and financial transformation of $550 Million delivery system into high performing accountable care organization. He facilitated the formulation, implementation and assessment of CHA ACO vision and goals. Doug prepared a 100,000-patient primary care panel operation for extensive changes necessitated by global payment arrangements through development of strategic business and implementation. He led the development and implementation of approximately $250 Million in shared-risk global budgets with Medicaid managed care, commercial and Medicare payers.
- Network Health, Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Finance. Doug served as the principal manager for $820M, 170,000 member statewide Medicaid and Commonwealth Care managed health care plan
- Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Office of Medicaid, Chief Financial Officer. As Chief Financial Officer, Doug managed the Mass Health budget unit and development of $9 billion Mass Health budget in line with strategic objective under severe financial pressures
Entrepreneurial Experience 2004 – 2016
- Perfect Health, Founder and Chief Officer. As Founder and Chief Officer, Doug developed an original innovative clinical model and business plan for risk-bearing provider organization focused on serving patients with complex health care needs
- Public & Private Solutions Group, LLC, Founder and Managing Director. Doug founded and managed a boutique consulting company specializing in furthering the mission of non-profit and government agencies through strategic and financial services
Education
Harvard University, Masters in Public Policy, Health and Human Services, 1995
Boston University, BA, Philosophical and Sociological Thought in Medicine 1989

Jan Kennedy
Jan Kennedy has dedicated more than 30 years of her health care career focused on improving the clinical and financial operations of provider organizations. Ms. Kennedy has extensive expertise in the strategic development and execution of services lines and has served in senior leadership positions for multispecialty organizations and specialty practices.
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- Ms. Kennedy served as the CEO and President of Alliance Medical Group and Greater Waterbury Management Resources, Inc. Under her leadership and guidance, the multispecialty practice achieved its financial and operational goals due to process improvement strategies which included the consolidation of practice locations, the expansion of multispecialty service lines and the development of urgent care services adjunct to the practices.
- Ms. Kennedy served as the Interim Director of Medical Professional Services, Inc. and launched an effective care coordination collaborative on behalf of the IPA organization. This initiative included the evaluation and implementation of population health informatics and development of meaningful analytics to track performance. The collaborative effectively achieved high performance for its clinical objectives including MSSP-ACO and continues to expand services to independent providers statewide.
- Ms. Kennedy joined Cardiology Associates in 2007 and following major changes in specialty reimbursement, developed an integration strategy with a community based hospital. As Executive Director, Ms. Kennedy developed multiple care coordination projects with third party payers including the Anthem Patient Centered Specialty Care Pilot Program which will ultimately set the standards for care protocols aligned with specialty practices.
- As a proven leader and collaborator, Ms. Kennedy has taken a team approach throughout her career and focused on patient care, quality initiatives and improving outcomes. Areas of expertise include design and implementation of Risk Adjustment, MACRA, MIPS and Medicare Advantage programs aligned with provider and payer strategies and implementation of cultural change across organizations to achieve the financial and care improvement process redesign necessary to achieve success in new models of healthcare delivery.
Education
University of Connecticut, Storrs, Bachelor of Science, Allied Health MT(ASCP)

Brad Buxton
Brad Buxton has over 30 years of experience in the health care and health plan management field, including health plan operations, marketing, sales, government programs, external relations, and mergers & acquisitions. Brad spearheaded numerous major change initiatives in his past management roles, particularly in the areas of reimbursement and quality measurement.
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He is currently President of BTB Associates and a Principal with HES Advisors, where he is involved in engagements in healthcare reform strategy focusing on planning and executing transformational change and improved health plan and health system functionality. Brad has worked with numerous commercial insurers, Medicaid/Medicare MCOs Hospital Systems, physician groups, PBMs and emerging technology companies.
Brad served as senior vice president, Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), the largest independent Blue Cross plan in the U.S., comprising Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico. His responsibilities included revenue diversification strategy, including multiple acquisitions, and the management and negotiation of over $150M USD in vendor contracts. Among the acquisitions he led were a technology company with a real-time physician desktop claim system, eventually saving over $3 per claim, and a majority interest in a pharmacy benefits management company.
Brad's role as the head of networks for HCSC and president of HMO Illinois provided a platform to reorganize HMO operations, leading to a 30% savings in administrative costs while dramatically improving customer and provider service levels. Among his initiatives for HCSC, he restructured and stabilized the HMO provider network, leading to a $60M USD turnaround while maintaining an "excellent" rating from NCQA. He also initiated outcome-based reimbursement for hospitals (over 150 contracts) and doubled the effectiveness of the provider call center by re-engineering its operations to handle over 20 million calls per year.
Prior to HCSC, Brad served as senior vice president for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield (Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky), where he managed over 2,000 employees and a $200M USD budget, and more than doubled HMO membership in under three years. He also guided the development of a pharmacy benefit management entity which grew to 5 million members in 5 years. His initiatives with providers to develop joint ventures and quality programs produced demonstrated benefits in reducing mortality and medical costs, and stimulating health plan growth.
Brad also held positions at American Hospital Association, Illinois Hospital Association and the Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island. He has served on numerous boards, including American Health Network of Indiana, Ohio & Kentucky; American Cancer Society; Xavier University Graduate School of Health Services, Advisory Board; Real Med, a real-time claims technology company; and Chicago Area Central Committee for the City of Chicago. He is also a past President of THIN - The Health Information Network, the third largest claims clearinghouse in the U.S.
Education
Brown University, B.A.
Yale University, Master of Public Health/Hospital Administration

William L. Young
Bill Young brings over 20 years of executive leadership in the insurance, healthcare and health information technology arenas. Through his role in leading the development of managed care organizations, he has built national provider networks for major health plans, and has the benefits consulting expertise to lead the development of strategy to manage employee costs for large provider systems.
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Bill's management roles have included:
- Senior Vice President, Marketing, PacifiCare Health Systems. One of the largest commercial health plans and the largest Medicare risk plan in the USA. Bill created sales and marketing strategy that increased revenues from $1.75 Billion to $8 Billion. He was Chairman of the Marketing Committee and Co-Chairman of the Pricing and Underwriting Committee as well as Chief Executive for the Group Life, Dental and Health Benefits Administration Companies.
- Senior Vice President, Sales, IntelliClaim, a McKesson Company. A leading Healthcare Information Technology Company focused on creating efficiency and savings for the nation's health payers.
- Vice President, eHealth Insurance. On the original team that developed and built eHealth to become one of the nation's largest on-line brokers, developing the expertise for attracting individuals and small groups.
- Vice President, Lincoln National Life Insurance Company. Developed provider networks throughout the eastern USA.
- President, MetLife Healthcare (Southeast). Built this organization from inception to become one of the largest managed care plans in the Southeast. Focused on provider partnerships and managing provider system employee benefits.
- President, Emtrust Insurance and Reinsurance Company. Developed one of the first joint ventures between a Blue Cross health plan and a leading Provider health system to offer comprehensive employee benefits in a geographic market.
Bill is a past director of these companies/organizations:
- PacifiCare Life and Health Insurance Company
- California Dental Health Plan
- CoVantage
- Compremier
- National Association of Specialty Health Organizations
Bill has been a speaker at AHIP, the BlueCrossBlueShield Association and has chaired the Internet Track at the National Managed Health Care Conference. He most recently was a contributor to the American Medical Association's response to the DHHS ACO program and consulted for one of the largest Academic Medical Centers on the CMMI Innovation Challenge.
Education
Georgetown University, School of Foreign Service, BSFS
Columbia University, MBA