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

Michael 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.

Debbie Touchette

Executive Vice President, Market Operations

Debbie Touchette joined HNI in 2013 and is responsible for market operations, which includes overseeing and leading program financial performance and client relation efforts. An industry veteran with over 18 years of experience, Debbie came from HCA where she started a hospitalist and psychiatric hospitalist program in Jacksonville, FL. She is a licensed nursing home administrator, certified rehabilitation counselor and holds a bachelor's and master's degree from the University of North Florida.

Scott Klosterman

Chief of Staff

Scott Klosterman joined HNI in 2016. He is responsible for driving the company's culture, leading the company's strategic initiatives and overseeing all financial and human resource activities. As the liaison between finance and operations, Scott supports the operations team to meet key performance measures. A CPA and 25-year healthcare veteran, he held prior roles at Stryker Corporation, DJO Global and Hanger, Inc. Scott holds a bachelor's in accounting from the University of Delaware and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Hankamer School of Business at Baylor 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.

Craig Menard, MD, MHSA

Vice President of Operations, Central Region

Craig Menard joined HNI in 2017 and oversees staff and physician concerns, strategizes health system issues, promotes quality and medical excellence, disseminates the latest information across clinical teams, and tackles structural and process issues. With over 15 years of experience, his unique combination of clinical background and operational competence enriches our programs and overall patient experience.

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.

Our 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.

In 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.

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FAQ

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Learn more about HNI Healthcare and value-based care from those who live and breathe it.

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About VitalsMD®

VitalsMD® is changing the way a physician manages a clinical episode.

Find out more about features and functionality.

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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.

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Case Studies

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