Find a Truly Aligned Partner With HNI
Blain Claypool, Chief Operating Officer at HNI, started off as a client and describes his experience on the other side in this video.
“HNI was truly an aligned partner with the vision of bringing value to healthcare. I found I had a partner that was engaged in bending the cost curve and helping me identify how to make my hospital run smoother, improve patient experience, and dramatically improve patient quality and outcomes,” said Claypool.
HNI's National Footprint
Facility Types
- Acute Care Hospitals
- LTACHs
- IRFs
- Skilled Nursing Facilities
- Behavioral Health Hospitals
70+ Hospital Contracts
100+ Post-Acute Care Contracts
- Arkansas
- Florida
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Louisiana
- Nevada
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- South Carolina
- Texas
- Washington
- Wisconsin
1250+ Providers
- Hospital Medicine
- Emergency Medicine
- Post-Acute Care
- Psychiatric Medicine
- Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine
Executive LeadershipMichael Gonzales
Chief Executive Officer and Founder
Michael Gonzales started HNI in 2009. Michael is the innovator and leader of the Company's effort to deliver a model for patient care that seamlessly blends the interests of patients, physicians, hospital systems and health plans. An entrepreneur since 23, he has successfully launched service and product offerings in physician services, healthcare technology and hospital development. Michael studied computer science and holds a bachelor's in philosophy from Brigham Young University.
Oon Soo Ung
Chief Financial Officer
Oon Soo Ung joined HNI Healthcare in 2020. He oversees all financial accounting, budgeting, tax compliance functions, revenue cycle operations and human resources. Prior to joining HNI, Oon Soo served in various senior finance leadership positions for over 23 years in for-profit and non-profit health systems, academic medical centers and physician groups. He has a bachelor's in accounting and finance from the University of Western Australia and a master's degree from the University of Central Florida. He is a member of CPA Australia and the Texas Society of CPAs.
Blain Claypool
Chief Operating Officer
Blain Claypool has three decades of hospital executive experience ranging from multi-facility leadership, non-urban and level one trauma academic medical centers. From hospitals in public, private and investor-owned sectors, the facilities Blain oversaw regularly led in quality and financial outcomes. Before joining HNI, Claypool worked closely with HNI as the leader of one of our contracted facilities, bringing his unique perspective to our organization. Blain has a bachelor's in marketing and a master's in health administration.
Dr. Reuben Tovar
Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Tovar joined HNI in 2012 and is responsible for clinical leadership, CDI, utilization management and alignment of HNI physicians with the goals of their facilities. Since 2001, Dr. Tovar has served as a hospitalist. Prior to joining HNI, Dr. Tovar served as the president of a 60-hospitalist practice in Austin, TX. Dr. Tovar graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and earned his medical degree at the Baylor College of Medicine. He is board-certified in internal medicine and palliative care.
Merced Gonzales
Chief Information and Technology Officer
Merced Gonzales joined HNI in 2009, overseeing its interfacing and connectivity model, creating custom APIs for hospital information and practice management systems across the country. Previously, Merced was the vice president of technology at Resolution, a leading revenue cycle company, and held various leadership roles at Dell Computer. Merced holds a bachelor's in computer science from the University of Texas at Austin and numerous Microsoft and Cisco certifications.
Joseph "Skip" Courtney
Executive Vice President of Operations
Skip Courtney, former Chief Operating Officer of HNI, has transitioned into a new role as executive vice president of operations. He oversees the shared services division of HNI and works closely with operations in designing and managing new risk sharing agreements. Skip is spearheading the development of our latest entity, HNI Charities — a non-profit organization with the mission to make healthcare services accessible to underserved populations, domestically and internationally. From initial framework establishment to fundraising, Skip will work to bring this initiative to life.
Sean Burns
Executive Vice President, Corporate & Business Development
Sean Burns joined HNI in 2024 and leads business development, including sales and marketing, as well as corporate development activities. Sean brings over 10 years of experience in healthcare technology and services companies with prior cross- functional roles across corporate development, finance, strategy and operations. He most recently held executive leadership positions at Healthgrades and Mercury Healthcare. Sean has a bachelor's degree from Brown University.
Arnold De Alejandro
Vice President of Product Development
Arnold De Alejandro joined HNI in 2009 and leads the software engineering team responsible for VitalsMD® and its integration with partner hospitals, physician groups and other related systems. He began his career in technology start-ups in the late 1990s and has since written software applications in the oil and gas, retail and healthcare industry. Arnold has a bachelor's in computer science from the University of Texas at Austin.
Chad Pew
Vice President of Operations, Shared Services
Chad Pew joined HNI in 2024 and oversees all aspects of provider recruiting, credentialing and onboarding with additional management of operational functions. Chad brings a wealth of knowledge to HNI with over 20 years in various leadership roles across regional and national health systems. Chad is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. He received his bachelor's degree from Chadron State College and his MBA from University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Laura Ingalls
Vice President of Project Management
Laura Ingalls has over ten years of experience in project management, with the last eight being dedicated to the healthcare industry. Laura leads our project management and training team in the implementation of HNI's software, VitalsMD®. Prior to joining HNI Healthcare, she worked as a senior project manager for a large physician practice company. Laura earned her bachelor's degree in biology from the State University of New York at Albany.
Marco B. Rocha
Vice President of Business Intelligence
Marco joined HNI in 2009 and heads up the business intelligence department. His team is responsible for integrating data analysis dashboards, reporting, and data mining processes into corporate and partner hospital workflows. He collaborates with the software development team to achieve the best possible outcome for patients, physicians and hospitals through the VitalsMD® software. Marco has a bachelor's in Computer Science from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and a .Net Master's Program certification.
Tony Bernardo
Vice President of Operations, Midwest Region
Tony joined the organization formerly known as the Martin Healthcare Group (MHG) in 1988 and over the next few decades, became a key voice in the company's leadership. At the time MHG was acquired by HNI, Tony was President of that organization. His deep experience within the healthcare landscape and tireless commitment to improving both patient care and operational efficiency across the Midwest make him a tremendous asset to HNI's hospital partners.
MissionOur mission is simple — to create sustainable healthcare in the communities we serve. By designing intelligent processes and technology that empower talented people, we are on the path towards a better tomorrow. A day where healthcare is transformed into a value-based, patient-centered, sustainable system.
HistoryIn 2009, Hospitalists Now, Inc. (HNI) started in a hospital in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. It was evident that there was a disconnect between a physician's revenue and a hospital's quality model. Physicians were incentivized to have more daily contacts with an increased length of stay to generate more income. Meanwhile, hospitals were motivated to lower the length of stay, optimize utilization, improve compliance and support evidence-based care.
From day one, we have sought to align physician and hospital goals to transform healthcare into a value-based, patient-centered, sustainable system. A system where clinical, operational, and financial outcomes are balanced and optimized.
With longer and more frequent patient visits, combined with our breakthrough VitalsMD® technology, our physicians can make informed decisions that put quality and outcomes first. Once we improve patient care, we focus this same energy on improving health systems by providing extensive training, administrative support and streamlined processes.
An acquisition in 2018 expanded HNI's footprint even further. Martin Healthcare Group (MHG) brought 40 years of the long-standing tradition of service quality to HNI. Combining MHG's experience with HNI's innovative solutions has enabled us to have an even greater impact on the communities we serve.
Today, our founding principles remain true. Our forward-thinking teams continue to innovate and optimize processes to ensure the future of healthcare is sustainable.
We are forging a bold path for a new model of healthcare—and the transformation of our partners and communities.
Want to learn more? Check out our resources.
FAQ
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About VitalsMD®
VitalsMD® is changing the way a physician manages a clinical episode.
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HNI Insider Blog
We believe effective education ignites action. Our blog covers topics like value-based care, healthcare forecasts, and patient care - all with the mission of inspiring change.
Case Studies
Explore case studies by pain point - whether that be readmissions, throughput, case mix index, infection rate, or length of stay.