Ira N. Gottlieb, President & CEO

As president and founder of The Creative Group, Mr. Gottlieb has focused the company’s mission of providing professional, effective consulting services to insurers and providers in their desire to attain specific business goals and objectives.

Through the combined strengths and talents of the companies under The Creative Group’s umbrella, Mr. Gottlieb has assisted a diverse group of client organizations: hospitals and hospital systems, physicians and physician groups, large national insurers, integrated healthcare systems, specialty/ancillary service providers, niche healthcare companies, HMOs and various other payers and providers. Expertise in assisting clients with developing turn-key networks in addition to service area expansions for national and regional insurers including PPOs, HMOs, Medicare Advantage, Behavioral Health, Workers Compensation and other specialty areas; strategic planning, venture planning, partnering and product introduction.

Harry F. Blair, Vice Chairman

Mr. Blair has managed field operations for network development and contract negotiation projects for the firm over the past 17 years.  These assignments have included developing state-specific PPOs; national specialty networks and HMO network start-ups; Medicare Advantage Plans nationwide and network expansions across all product lines.  As a consultant, Mr. Blair has served as Interim VP, Network Development for Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield and directed strategy and entire staff.

Mr. Blair provides consultative services in managed care including interim management, network contracting, strategy and venture development and implementation, acquisition analysis and negotiations, HMO and PPO development and provider and payer contract negotiations.

Previous positions include Executive Director, Sanus Health plan of Greater New York and New Jersey; Vice President, Metropolitan Life Insurance Company; President, MetLife Healthcare Network of New York/New Jersey; First Assistant New York State Deputy Attorney General of Medicaid Fraud.

Debra E. Bornstein, Chief Operating Officer

Professional experience includes over 20 years in healthcare with a focus on building and maintaining diverse provider networks for some of the largest managed care organizations in the New York tri-state area.  Her expertise lies in provider contracting, strategic planning and medical cost trending with significant operational knowledge of all areas of transaction management.

Prior positions include Market Head, Aetna; Vice President of Medical Delivery Systems, MagnaCare; Vice President of Health Services, United Healthcare; Director, Medical Delivery, Oxford Health Plans.

Sharon S. Adair, Senior Vice President

Ms. Adair has over 20 years of experience in the managed care industry, and is senior consultant for the firm’s physician recruitment initiatives for Medicare Advantage, Medicaid and Commercial HMO and PPO payers nationwide. She led a team that experienced a 92.7% document recovery success rate for EBCBS following 9/11.

Ms. Adair is responsible for customized competitive information, research projects and development and maintenance of the firm’s databases.

Kevin Weiner, MD, Senior Vice President/Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Weiner is a practicing, board certified physiatrist with expertise in practice
management, development of clinical partnerships and staff development. After obtaining his medical degree at The Chicago Medical School, Dr. Weiner trained at the NYU/Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation. Now, over 13 years in practice, Dr. Weiner has established a successful outpatient practice, served as the medical director of several rehabilitation units, served as a PM&R Residency Director and serves as Chairman of PM&R in a NYC hospital.

Christine Hinke, MD, Vice President/Medical Director

Dr. Hinke is a practicing, board certified physiatrist with expertise in regulatory guidelines and documentation requirements for rehabilitation services. She received her training in PM&R at NYU/Rusk Institute after graduating from New York Medical College. Since 1998 she has practiced in a variety of settings, including private practice in a multispecialty group, inpatient rehabilitation at a teaching institution, and outpatient Physiatry in a hospital setting. She works with Dr. Weiner as the Associate Director of a PM&R department in NYC.

Richard Beland, Managing Director

Mr. Beland offers over 25 years of executive level sales and marketing experience. In executive management positions for several of the nation’s largest behavioral healthcare organizations including: Merit Behavioral Care, APS and Value Options he was directly responsible for all aspects of sales and marketing. His areas of expertise include: business development, team development, sales and marketing planning, sales strategy (including needs analysis, lead development, customer tracking, pricing (risk based and ASO), RFP response and finalist presentations), account management, product development, cost containment, budgeting and direct sales.

Mr. Beland is one of the nation’s leading behavioral healthcare sales producers, having personally sold 100’s of millions of dollars in EAP and behavioral healthcare services to various customers including Medicaid, Medicare and commercial HMO’s, insurance companies, Fortune 500 companies, state and local government entities as well as unions. Mr. Beland holds a Bachelor of Business Arts from The University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School as well as a Master of Science from their Dynamics of Organization program. Responsible for managed care credentialing for individual physicians, large group practices and ancillary providers for one of the firm’s major hospital clients.

Daniel Pfeiffer, Managing Director

Mr. Pfeiffer brings over 20 years of healthcare management experience to the Creative Health Concepts team. His expertise is focused in network management, contract negotiations, marketing and strategic planning.

Prior to returning to CHC, Mr. Pfeiffer was Regional Vice President at MultiPlan, with oversight of network development and provider relations for the Greater New York area and New England. Previously, Mr. Pfeiffer was a Senior Vice President at CHC, and was with the organization from 1993 to 2002.

Earlier positions include Vice President at Great West/Cigna, and founding member of Vista Chronic Care Solutions, a disease management and specialty pharmacy company affiliated with Trinity Homecare. His early career in managed care was spent with MetLife Healthcare and Sanus NY Life.

Robert Ginsberg, Vice President

Mr. Ginsberg has extensive experience in contracting and managed care operations having worked for managed care organizations, hospitals and physician groups. Contract negotiation, network development, physician fee negotiation and financial analysis are specific areas of expertise.

Previous hospital positions include directing the managed care functions at Lenox Hill Hospital, St. Vincent's Catholic Medical Center and Bon Secours Charity Health System. Prior to this Mr. Ginsberg worked at several health plans, including Sanus NYLife and Oxford Health Plans, in the areas of network development, cost containment and hospital contracting.

Claudia Beland, RN, Managing Director

Ms. Beland has over 25 years of executive level health care management experience. In executive leadership positions for several large behavioral health and medical managed care companies and a specialized health care informatics company she was directly responsible for all aspects of strategic business development and operations. Her areas of expertise include: implementation, account management, clinical operations, program design, customer retention, data analytics, report development, quality improvement, sales and marketing and product development.

Ms. Beland has an extensive background in quality management program design and evaluation. She and her team of independent clinical consultants supported quality of care reviews and audits for several State agencies to assess compliance with federal and state standards related to quality of care in acute care psychiatric facilities and residential care settings.

Ms. Beland has held executive management positions in Value Options, Merit Behavioral Care, WellCare, Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield and ActiveHealth Management.

Ms. Beland is a New York State Registered Nurse.

Mary Lepera, Director, Managed Care

Responsible for managed care credentialing for individual physicians, large group practices and ancillary providers for one of the firm’s major hospital clients.

Ms. Lepera's role has recently expanded to include physician and ancillary contracting with regional and national payers.

Michael P. Frampton, Vice President

Mr. Frampton has 30 years experience in the healthcare industry including positions of executive leadership and currently provides healthcare consultation as Frampton Associates, LLC. He has consulted for the past 15 years to the senior sales/marketing and provider network executives of virtually all Blue Cross Blue Shield Plans on design and development of provider networks and health management, provider transparency and consumer-directed programs to meet national employer expectations for quality and cost trend management. He has served as Senior Vice President at Consortium Health Plans and Vice President for Provider Network Management at Empire Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Empire Mental Health Choice.

Mr. Frampton is versed in strategic planning to win and retain national employer health benefits business and structuring inter-health plan fee arrangements to combine local health plans into seamless national networks for self-funded employers. He is the principal architect of ClaimsQuest™, the industry-leading approach to measuring the value of healthcare provider discounts.

Mr. Frampton holds degrees in Human Behavior (B.A.) and Social Service Administration (M.A.) from the University of Chicago.

Brian Shapiro, Director of Project Management/IT

Mr. Shapiro has over 10 years experience in the healthcare field with a focus on provider relations, contracting, network development and compliance and regulatory affairs. He provides project management for all CHC initiatives as well as operational and logistical support and expertise in cost containment and operational efficiency. Mr. Shapiro brings extensive knowledge of IT systems and integration as well as database management to the CHC team.

Prior positions include Business Manager, University Health Plans-Centene Corp; Database Development Manager, WPC; Medical Practice Manager, Freehold Eyecare Associates and General Manager of Kennbarr Pharmacy Corp.

Barclay E. Smith, Managing Director

Mr. Smith has nearly 30 years of senior level  management experience in healthcare.  He has extensive background in hospitals, HMO’s, PPO’s, and Medical Group Management.

Mr. Smith has established medical networks, completed strategic plans for multiple corporations, initiated, developed and managed Federally Qualified Health Centers and developed senior healthcare networks.  He has established contractual relationships with community physicians, hospitals and healthcare organizations.

Mr. Smith has held executive positions with Children's Hospital Los Angeles and San Diego Children's Hospital.  He has served as the Chairman of the Board for Alta Med Health Services, a Federally Qualified Health Care System, and has extensive experience in the payer sector serving as Vice President with Sierra Health Services and FHP.

Rosalie Tanaka, Consultant

With more than 15 years of operational and management experience with Interactive Technology, Design, and Marketing, Ms. Tanaka has developed a sharp eye for how businesses can refocus their communications and marketing efforts to craft strategically focused media campaigns.

Before founding her consulting company in 2005, Rosalie held senior marketing and business development positions in several New York City government agencies. Prior to her stint in public service, she was a TV producer for VH-1/MTV Networks, a graphics producer for USA Today on TV and producer/copywriter with WPIX-TV in New York City. Ms. Tanaka received a BA from Barnard College/Columbia University and an MPS in Interactive Telecommunications from New York University Tisch School of the Arts.

Mary Kay McHale, Consultant

As a consultant for CHC, Ms. McHale has recruited targeted physicians to participate in a capitated managed care plan; created and organized a client’s computer database to include it affiliated physicians with participating managed care plans.

Her 17 years experience has been as Manager of Credentialing/Provider Services/Customer Services for MagnaCare and Manager of Provider Services; Manager of Provider Services form MetLife Network.

Victoria Lukas, Senior Consultant

With over 20 years healthcare experience, Ms. Lukas has extensive negotiation skills on reimbursement rates; strong analytical and business skills and work on major business development projects with healthcare providers.

Prior to CHC, Ms. Lukas worked as Manager of Provider Relations for Select Providers; Recruiter, Network Development for Coast Physician Group in Durham, NC; and as an Independent Contractor for Cigna Health Plan of New York.