MEET OUR TEAM
Dedicated. Talented. Focused.
Three words to sum up the team’s commitment
to unparalleled, long-term successful partnerships.
Mike Saunders, CPA
President & CEO
Mr. Saunders has over 25 years of healthcare and practice management experience, with 20 years of transformational leadership in anesthesia including14 years at Pinnacle Partners in Medicine where he served as CEO.
Norman Rice, MD
Chief Medical Officer
As a board-certified anesthesiologist in Texas, Dr. Rice has served in a variety of strategic leadership positions throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth market including his recent positions as Chief of Surgery and Chief of Obstetric.
John Whitaker
Chief Human Resources Officer
John Whitaker joined the NPH Leadership team as EVP & Chief People Officer. Based in the Richardson, TX corporate headquarters, John is responsible for leading the People and Culture initiatives.
Chris Folsom, CPA, CGMA
Chief Financial Officer
Chris has over 25 years of experience in a variety of roles providing financial, accounting, operational and executive leadership. Prior to joining NPH, Mr. Folsom spent 7 years in multi-unit healthcare as CFO with Vision Group Holdings and most recently Keplr Vision.
David Weiss
Chief Development & Strategy Officer
David brings deep experience in healthcare practice acquisitions to NPH. He was previously the Chief Executive Officer of Pacesetter Health, a private equity-backed multi-site healthcare services business that he grew from startup to $50 million in revenue through 15 practice acquisitions.
Ken Ellington, MD
Corporate EVP, Health System Relations
Dr. Ken Ellington founded and served as President of MedStream Anesthesia prior to the partnership with National Partners in Healthcare, channeling 30 years of experience as a board-certified anesthesiologist to hospitals seeking his experience, innovation and partnership.
Doug Ellington
EVP, Health Systems Relations – EPS Division
With a lifetime career in a variety of roles as a progressive entrepreneur, Doug Ellington has built a business model structure in his career. With a vision of positive change within the medical field, he has been the co-owner of MedStream Anesthesia PLLC for 18 years.
Jamie Duncan
EVP, Administration
With 15 years of revenue cycle management experience and a strong background in healthcare compliance and optimizing revenue streams, Jamie implements strategies to drive significant revenue growth and enhanced operational efficiencies to all facilities.
David Darden, FACHE
President, EPS Division
With over 45 years background in healthcare management, David has served as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Executive in not-for-profit and for-profit hospitals ranging from 50 beds to 369-bed facilities. He worked with a national physician practice management company and most recently served as the SVP of Client Services for MedStream Anesthesia, PLLC.
Estelle Agoh
VP, Compliance
With a 15-year career in Compliance, Estelle comes with a diverse background in the healthcare industry and has worked with organizations seeking to develop robust Compliance programs.
Gerry Handley
SVP, Operations
Gerry brings to NPH over 25 years of management experience, with 15 years focused specifically on anesthesia practice management. Gerry is committed to quality healthcare, provider relations,
Jeremy Herbertson
SVP, Operations Western Division
Jeremy is responsible for leading operations in our western region and has a proven track record of over 19 years of healthcare operations with the past 10 specifically in the Anesthesia space.
Josh Holmgren
SVP, Operations
Josh Holmgren is a seasoned national healthcare Practice Management executive having spent the past 11 years working and managing hospital based physician practices, primarily anesthesia,
Scott Kizer, MBA
SVP, Integration & Recruiting
Scott brings to National Partners in Healthcare (NPH) over 23 years of management experience with 17 years in Anesthesia. Scott has responsibility for leading integration and recruiting for the company.
Brandon Clary
VP, Operations
Brandon has a very diverse, well-rounded background in the healthcare arena where he can utilize his differentiated experiences and deploy these capabilities for National Partners in Healthcare.
Becky Dagit, MBA
VP, Operations
Becky brings 25 + years of management experience to NPH specifically focused on anesthesia. Becky serves as a key liaison between the anesthesia departments, hospital leadership teams and division leadership to facilitate effective communication and coordination to optimize patient care outcomes and operational efficiency.
Matthew Roberts
VP, Operations
Matthew Roberts brings over 20 years of leadership experience in healthcare, which includes 17 years as a hospital CEO. His drive and passion for healthcare are evident as his facilities have always enjoyed substantial growth and improved quality.
Sara Wolf
VP, Operations
Prior to joining National Partners in Healthcare, Sara spent seven years managing independent medical groups of different specialties including orthopedics, interventional pain management, nephrology and family practice.
Sandy Hester
VP, Corporate Controller
Sandy brings to NPH over 20 years of experience in Finance and Accounting. Her passion lies in educating others. As a leader, Sandy takes great pride in being able to share her knowledge to watch those around her grow both personally and professionally.
Jessica Carl, MHA, PMP
VP, Revenue Cycle Management
Jess Carl brings over 20 years of leadership experience in healthcare operations, specializing in revenue cycle management, lean leadership, project and program implementation, and change management.