Executive

Dr. Huy Nguyen, M.D.
Chief Executive Officer

Dr. Huy Nguyen obtained a B.S. degree in Biology/Chemistry and a M.D. from the University of Chicago. He spent three years conducting basic science research at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. After completing his education, he served six years in the U. S. Navy and became board-certified in Family Medicine. His interest in healthcare mobile technology and clinical information systems dates back to his years as a medical student. This interest developed further as a naval physician utilizing the military’s electronic health record. After completing his tour of duty with the Navy in September 2003, he co-founded Cogon Systems, Inc. His entrepreneurial vision is based on the belief that good information technology can translate into better patient care.

In addition to his corporate duties, Dr. Nguyen, is also very involved as a technical and clinical advisor to the Florida Health Information Network. This entity has been tasked with establishing a statewide health information exchange. He serves as an ex-offico member of the South Florida Health Information Initiative and the Pensacola Strategic Health Intelligence Collaborative, the regional health information organization of the greater Miami and Pensacola area respectively.

Michael Hicks
President

Mr. Michael Hicks has been involved in the field of Technology for over twenty years. He received his BS Degree in Computers and Information Systems, from Florida A&M University in 1988 through the Navy's BOOST program. After receiving his commission, Mr. Hicks was accepted into the Naval Flight Program where he was designated a Naval Aviator in October 1989. During his career as a Naval Officer he flew Electronic Reconnaissance Missions in the EP-3E from May 1990 to May 1993. He was one of a few African American Naval Aviators to obtain a Designation as Electronic Warfare Aircraft Commander from VQ-1, in addition to many other awards Mr. Hicks was awarded the Naval Air Medal with First Strike for missions flown in support of Desert Shield/Desert Storm. He choose VT-2 in Pensacola FL as his next command. Here he became a Flight instructor and quickly advanced to the position of Assistant Operations Officer. In January 1997, he transferred to the staff of Commodore Watts at Training Air Wing 5. Here he was assigned the duties of creating an IT department for the Wing, which supported all of the squadrons at NAS Whiting Field. During his tenure he was involved in projects such as base-wide fiber network integration, data center design and construction, network design and support, help desk management, and contractor management. In June 1987, he established his first commercial business, Pensacola Internet. This company grew to become the second largest ISP in Pensacola FL, and was the first company to introduce new technologies such as 56K modem and wireless access in the Pensacola area. In July 1998, he sold Pensacola Internet’s residential customers to Mindspring and business customers to Network Telephone, a CLEC in Pensacola, FL. In February 1999, he retired from the Navy as a Lieutenant Commander, and went to work for Network Telephone in July 1999 as their IT Director. Here he was responsible for managing the IT needs of a company as it grew from 55 employees to 600+ employees operating in 9 states. He oversaw projects such as data center design and construction, billing, OSS, trouble ticket, network monitoring system selection and integration as well as numerous other IT projects.

Todd Fisher
Vice President, Corporate Affairs

Mr. Fisher comes to Cogon with over 15 years of experience in varying degrees of technology operations management, technology integrations and enterprise strategic development. He spent 10 of those years working in the Department of Defense arena; specifically, working as the Chief SOF Air Mission Suite Architect and C2 Systems Task Lead for the 623rd Air Operations Center, as the Chief Technology Architect for the AFSOC A6, CIO Office (Air Force Special Operations Command) and as the Senior Information Technology Manager for numerous USSOCOM (United States Special Operations Command) global technology implementation efforts. Mr. Fisher was instrumental in helping the government streamline IT business processes in line with accepted industry ITIL standards. Mr. Fisher also brings valuable private sector and company startup experience.

Sandy Phillips
Vice President, Program Management

Mr. Sandy Phillips has spent the last 26 years in the computer consulting and operations industries, mostly in healthcare settings. Following graduation from the University of Georgia, Mr. Phillips joined the US Navy’s Nuclear Power Program serving as both an instructor and a qualified operator of Nuclear Submarines. Upon leaving active duty, Mr. Phillips began a career working primarily with Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) Consulting, KPMG Consulting, and Accenture. He also served as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for both esavio and for the Jackson Health System in Miami, FL and as a Client Executive with Perot Systems Corporation. Now with Omada Technology Solutions, Mr. Phillips assists healthcare clients in Health Information Exchange (HIE) initiative design and implementation, clinical transformation, and innovative applications of technology to healthcare. He has supported the HIE efforts for the Delaware Health Information Network (DHIN), Health Record Network (HRN), the National Health Information Network (NHIN) Implementation Cooperative, the Mississippi Southern Coastal HIE, and the California Regional Health Information Organization (CalRHIO).

Mr. Phillips retired from the US Navy Reserve with 24 years of active and reserve duty, serves on Florida’s Governor’s Health Information Infrastructure Advisory Board (GHIIAB), has written extensively, and provides presentations and speeches on a variety of healthcare, leadership, and management topics

Ken Dougherty
Vice President, Business Development

Mr. Ken Dougherty has spent the last 12 years in the software consulting industry. The majority of that time has been spent in Public Health Informatics and Health IT. Mr. Dougherty brings deep experience in Federal Business Development, Federal Healthcare, Public Health Informatics and Commercial IT Professional Services. Ken is a former VP, of Business Development, HHS, where he led Federal Business Development for $100M+ Health Business Unit within $500M+ Business Process Services division of Lockheed Martin. He demonstrated success winning business from new areas in targeted agencies and introducing Health IT, Science, Informatics, Epidemiology and IT capabilities to new sectors and agencies.

Most recently, Ken was Vice President and Co-Founder of Omada Technology Solutions, a Health IT 8A Firm. Ken placed Omada after award on Lockheed team for agency wide IDIQ for IT/Informatics support, a contract valued at 1B over seven years. This was a dual award between Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman. At Omada he participated successfully and won a $2 million subcontract with Lockheed to provide Bio-informatics support for the National Immunization Program. As Program Manager he recruited and assembled Omada's Informatics Team, working with various MPH programs to recruit the best talent in Data Management, Epidemiology and Statistics.

Ken has a strong understanding of HHS and its various operating divisions. He understand how to sell into the Health market and working with the Medical and Science Communities. Strong ability to relate and build relationships with Senior Agency Health leadership, examples include; Division Directors, Branch Chiefs, Directors of Science, Technical Monitors, CTOs, and Health Communications personnel etc. Areas of expertise include; strategic planning and program development, program management, capture strategy and management; customer relationship management; public health recruiting; building consulting teams in health, research and science.

Eric Klos

Vice President, Marketing

Co-Managing Principal, Strategy, Policy & Relations Group

Eric Klos has more than twenty years of experience demonstrating successful strategic planning, business development, marketing, government and public relations almost exclusively focused on healthcare IT. Eric has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science degree from Purdue University. Eric worked for eight years for Congressman John Myers, representing Indiana’s 7^th Congressional District, the district in which Purdue University is located in West Lafayette, Indiana. When Congressman Myers retired, he took a position at the House Committee on Veterans Affairs as the Director of Information Technology. He supported over 40 staffers in supporting their technology needs, built the committee’s web site presence, veterans.House.gov, which won a Best Congressional Web Site Award in 1999, and supported the Oversight Subcommittee overseeing the Department of Veterans Affairs Information Technology activities.

After twelve years on Capitol Hill, Eric left for the government contracting community. Over a ten year career, he has grown his relationships, knowledge and experience from VA to DOD MHS to HHS and, broadly, healthcare IT. He’s been responsible for business acquisitions to support corporate growth, business development capture for a $30 million dollar patient safety reporting contract at DOD MHS, business development for the VA, DOD MHS, FDA, CMS, and other HHS agencies, and comprehensive strategic planning for the healthcare IT vertical. In addition, through his focus on patient safety, he has developed deep knowledge and expertise around the FDA and AHRQ. Finally, his exposure to Electronic Health Records through two different HIT companies has broadened his understanding and expertise to the commercial market. Most recently he has become an expert in ARRA funding, guidelines, and impact on state and local initiatives. Eric participates as a member of HIMSS-NCA and, most recently, as part of the ACT-IAC VistA Working Group.

Nandan Kenkeremath, J.D.

Vice President, Strategy, Policy & Relations

Co-Managing Principal, Strategy, Policy & Relations Group

Nandan has over 25 years of Federal policy experience with extensive contacts and working relationships. He was recently a Senior Counsel for the House Committee on Energy and Commerce where is served for 17 years. For the last 12 years he has focused on health care policy including health information technology, privacy, certain provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, health care and health insurance reform, the Sentinel Initiative and drug safety, collaborative research platforms, biomedical research, emergency preparedness, comparative effectiveness, payment policies, drug regulation and safety, and a variety of cutting edge health care policy issues. He has worked with practically every committee in Congress, the Congressional Budget Office, Office of Management and Budget, most offices at the Department of Health Human Services and numerous stakeholders.

Since leaving the Hill Nandan has provided counsel, led workgroups, led policy retreats, provided comments in regulatory proceedings, analyzed legislation, prepared amendments, prepared assessments, assisted in business development and planning, provided legislative and regulatory strategies and other policy and government affairs functions for a wide variety of clients including in health information policy. Among others, he consults for groups like the Patient Centered Primary Care Collaborative, the eHealth Initiative, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He is active in workgroups at the Health Information Management Systems Society. Nandan has a law degree from the University of Virginia and a Bachelors of Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.