Our proven experience with orphan patient populations includes working with start-ups, public companies and not-for-profits. The Optime Care team has been a partner on more than 25 successful product launches.
Donovan entered the world of healthcare after a successful coaching career and teaching at the collegiate level. His personal mission was to help patients who suffer from an orphan disorder that has affected his entire family (Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency). Donovan became a Patient Advocate for Centric Health Resources and traveled the country raising awareness, improving detection, and providing education to patients and healthcare providers.
Donovan quickly gained recognition among the patient community for his efforts. He was heavily recruited and hand-picked by Alpha-1 Foundation founder John Walsh to become the Foundation’s Director of Detection and Community Outreach. Donovan gained an in-depth knowledge of the inner workings of not-for-profit patient-driven programs while working with the Alpha-1 Foundation. His responsibilities included public policy agendas within government affairs, national targeted detection programs, research projects with “Key Opinion Leaders”, patient educational and marketing programs, fundraising efforts, and serving as a liaison to the drug manufacturers.
After leaving the not-for-profit sector, Donovan developed a new and innovative sales strategy with Talecris Biotherapeutics (now Grifols), which he piloted in a sales territory that had underperformed historically. By emphasizing education, early detection, and awareness, Donovan was able to take a poor performing territory and grow it into one of the top markets in the country in a short period of time. The strategy was so successful that Donovan was asked to work with the Brand Team to launch it throughout the rest of the country.
Donovan’s success in the sales world led to a return to Centric Health Resources (now DLSS), where he worked on their largest piece of business and developed innovative strategies to improve a growing and successful program. Over the next few years, Donovan went from directing a small team of Patient Advocates to Vice President of Patient Services to Senior Vice President of Patient Direct Programs.
Donovan’s experiences with the Alpha-1 Foundation, Centric Health Resources and DLSS have provided him the opportunity to manage all aspects of operations, develop operational plans for product launches/relaunches, improve program effectiveness, manage a large number of employees from pharmacists to nurses to patient support specialists, design infrastructure, create business development opportunities, and play a key role in companywide strategic planning.
Regardless of his position, Donovan has always kept one thing top of mind: “If you take care of the people that matter, the program will always be successful.” Donovan has spent years doing just that for patients, caregivers, healthcare providers, and product manufacturers.
As Optime Care’s CFO, Larry brings more than 30 years of healthcare finance and accounting experience. Larry’s health care skills include hospitals, health insurance and pharmacies. Larry’s business entity capabilities comprises non profit, private, and public companies. Larry teamed with Michelle and Donovan as CFO of Centric Health Resources (Now DLSS) where he helped the company grow from 2,000 patients to over 10,000 patients.
Prior to Centric Health Resources, Larry spent 10 years in the Insurance/Managed Care space, working with insurance companies like Coventry Healthcare, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Missouri, Wellpoint, Unicare, HealthLink and Anthem. During this period, Larry worked closely with finance, provider contracting, pricing and sales/underwriting teams. His managed care experience includes PPOs, HMOs, Staff Model HMOs and Medicare Advantage Plans.
Larry also has more than 10 years of experience in the U.S hospital space, including five years as a Hospital controller and five years in the financial audit arena with KPMG.
Larry is a Certified Public Accountant, with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Loyola Marymount University.
Chief Financial Officer/Managing Partner
Chief Financial Officer/Managing Partner
As Optime Care’s CFO, Larry brings more than 30 years of healthcare finance and accounting experience. Larry’s health care skills include hospitals, health insurance and pharmacies. Larry’s business entity capabilities comprises non profit, private, and public companies. Larry teamed with Michelle and Donovan as CFO of Centric Health Resources (Now DLSS) where he helped the company grow from 2,000 patients to over 10,000 patients.
Prior to Centric Health Resources, Larry spent 10 years in the Insurance/Managed Care space, working with insurance companies like Coventry Healthcare, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Missouri, Wellpoint, Unicare, HealthLink and Anthem. During this period, Larry worked closely with finance, provider contracting, pricing and sales/underwriting teams. His managed care experience includes PPOs, HMOs, Staff Model HMOs and Medicare Advantage Plans.
Larry also has more than 10 years of experience in the U.S hospital space, including five years as a Hospital controller and five years in the financial audit arena with KPMG.
Larry is a Certified Public Accountant, with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Loyola Marymount University.
Managing Partner/Senior Advisor
In addition to her role as a managing partner and senior advisor of Optime Care, Michelle is responsible for directing business activities related to the company’s start-up growth and the successful implementation of the business plan.
Michelle also served as President and COO of Centric Health Resources, Inc., headquartered in Chesterfield, Missouri. As a co-founder, Michelle built Centric from a start-up specialty pharmacy into a nationwide service provider for “ultra-orphan” drug therapies to treat chronic disorders like Alpha-1, CTX, MS, Cushing’s Syndrome, Thalassemia and PID. She also co-developed and implemented the company’s annual strategic plan. Her departmental direct reports included the vice presidents of pharmacy, nursing, reimbursement and IT. During her tenure (2004-2013), the company grew to over 130 employees and nine commercial partners. Centric was acquired by the Dohmen Company in August 2011.
Michelle served as a senior director with Express Scripts Specialty PB in St Louis, Missouri, from 1998 until 2004. She was responsible for the specialty pharmacy’s operations, which included managing relationships with pharmaceutical, biotech and managed care organizations. She also performed market research to evaluate pipeline opportunities, established market objectives, managed sales revenue and margin projections as part of her annual budget planning for the division.