Board of Directors PDF Print E-mail

Gary West

Chairman & Founder

Gary West began his career as a hospital administrator and went on to build one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world. Along with his wife Mary, Mr. West has founded numerous companies over the last four decades – beginning with WATS Telemarketing in 1978 and followed by West Corporation in 1986.

West Corporation became one of the largest customer relationship management providers in the world with more than 35,000 employees and $3.5 billion in annual sales. Since West Corporation was taken private in 2006, Mr. West and his wife have started and now lead a range of enterprises based in Southern California and the Midwest, including West Development and West Partners, a private equity firm.

Mr. West and his wife formed the Gary and Mary West Foundation in 2006 to pursue their philanthropic interests. The West Wireless Health Institute is an extension of their philanthropy. Through the Institute, Mr. West is committed to lowering health care costs and changing the way health care is delivered.

Eric J. Topol, M.D.

Vice Chairman

Dr. Eric Topol is an innovator and pioneer in the fields of wireless medicine and genomics. In addition to his serving as Vice Chairman of the West Wireless Health Institute, he is the Director of the Scripps Translational Science Institute, a National Institute of Health funded program of the Clinical and Translational Science Award Consortium. He is also Professor of Genomics at The Scripps Research Institute; Chief Academic Officer and holder of the Gary and Mary West Chair of Innovative Medicine at Scripps Health; and, a Senior Consultant cardiologist practitioner at Scripps Clinic.

Dr. Topol formerly served on the faculty of Case Western University as a professor in genetics, chaired the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at Cleveland Clinic for fifteen years, and founded the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine. His work in the genomics of heart attack led to discovery of key genes which were recognized as American Heart Association Top 10 research advances in 2002 and 2004.

Dr. Topol has been elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, named as one of the 12 “Rock Stars of Science” in GQ, Top 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare in 2011, and is recognized by the Thomson-Reuters Institute of Scientific Information to be in the Top 10 cited biomedical researchers in medicine in the past decade.

Donald Casey

Board Member

Donald M. Casey joined the West Wireless Health Institute as its inaugural Chief Executive Officer in March 2010, to drive the organization’s mission of lowering health care costs through technology and innovation. He brought 25 years of global health care experience to the role, as well as an outstanding track record in identifying and commercializing medical innovations.

 

Previously, Casey served as Worldwide Chairman for Johnson & Johnson’s comprehensive care group and member of the Company’s Executive committee, where he oversaw its cardiovascular, diagnostic, diabetes and vision care franchises around the world. He was responsible for defining a corporate-wide comprehensive approach to chronic disease management, including leading the development of patient-centric solutions and innovations within the medical device segment for some of the world’s most pervasive conditions, including diabetes and cardiovascular disorders.

Casey began his career with Johnson & Johnson in 1985, advancing into executive positions throughout the company’s consumer, pharmaceutical and medical device franchises. He was also a participant in J&J’s Development Corporation, a venture capital entity, and COSAT, an early stage technology identifier.

In addition to his role at the Institute, Casey was Manager of the West Health Investment Fund and sits on the boards of BioDel and Angiotech Pharmaceutical. He holds an MBA from the University of Notre Dame.

 

Jim Hasson

Board Member

Jim Hasson is a partner at the law firm Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP, where he is a member of the Tax Practice Group. He represents businesses, tax-exempt organizations and individuals in controversies with governmental agencies; in planning, contractual and financing projects; and in legislative initiatives. He leads projects and relationships for individuals, businesses, universities, private foundations, hospitals, medical research organizations, and other religious, charitable and educational organizations. Mr. Hasson deals regularly with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and other federal and state governmental agencies.

Mr. Hasson has published numerous articles and speaks extensively at various conferences around the country. From 1987 to 1990, he served as a member of the Exempt Organization Advisory Group to the Commissioner of the IRS, and he served nearly 20 years as an Adjunct Professor of Law in the graduate tax program at Emory University School of Law.

Mr. Hasson has been named to The Best Lawyers in America in the areas of nonprofit/charities law and tax law (1987-2011), and he has been recognized by Chambers USA: America's Leading Business Lawyers in the area of tax (2003-2011). He received his law degree from Duke University School of Law.

Charles Sederstrom

Board Member

Charles Sederstrom is currently General Counsel to Alegent Health, which is the largest nongovernmental employer in the state of Nebraska and the largest hospital in the state of Nebraska with 10 hospitals, 250 employed physicians, and over one hundred separate points of entry into the health system. He began practicing law in Omaha, Nebraska in 1968 with Donald H. Erickson, and subsequently began the law firm of Erickson | Sederstrom. His area of specialization is Corporate Law with a particular focus on Health Law.

Sederstrom is a very active member and leader in many legal and civic organizations, including American Diabetes Association, American Lung Association, Arthritis Foundation, Boy Scouts of America, Combined Health Agencies Drive of Nebraska, Goodwill Industries, United Way, Rotary International, Chamber of Commerce, and the Omaha Home for Boys.

During the past twenty years, Sederstrom also has been involved with the Salvation Army having served on the Omaha Board and for over ten years on the National Board. In addition, he was formerly Chairman of the Combined Health Agencies of America.