Velatura HIE Corporation and Velatura Services Announce Executive Leadership Appointments
Newly appointed leaders will help move national HIE leader forward
GRAND RAPIDS, MICH., Jan. 19, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Velatura HIE Corporation and Velatura Services, operating subsidiaries of Velatura Public Benefit Company (VPBC), today announced the selection of executive leadership. Angie Bass, former President and CEO of Midwest Health Connection (MHC) has been named Executive Vice President of Velatura HIE Corporation, and Rick Wilkening, formerly of Velatura LLC., has been named Executive Vice President of Velatura Services. Both assumed their respective roles on Jan. 4, 2021.
Bass served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of MHC from 2016-2020. At the helm of one of the largest Health Information Exchange (HIE) networks in the country, Bass oversaw and led MHC’s coalition which provides services to thousands of physicians serving patients in more than 75 hospitals and more than 350 clinics in the Midwest, including more than 28 million patient health records.
“Angie has been recognized as one of the top leaders in the field of health information exchange today, and rightfully so,” said Ken Van Der Wende, Executive Vice President of Velatura. “Under her leadership, Midwest Health Connection became one of the nation’s largest health information network exchanges. She brings tremendous industry insight and acumen to Velatura and we are confident she will be a tremendous asset to our corporation.”
Wilkening joined VPBC at its inception as the Chief Customer Officer. In this role, he led professional service engagements advising health plan, provider, and government organizations on interoperability opportunities across the nation. Prior to joining VPBC, Wilkening worked for Michigan Health Information Network Shared Services (MiHIN), serving as the primary liaison with many of MiHIN’s key stakeholders.
“Rick has the proven ability necessary to deliver upon our aggressive national mission to promote improved interoperability,” said Van Der Wende. “I believe we have the strongest leadership team in the country.”
VPBC currently has three operating units including USQHIN, Velatura HIE Corporation and Velatura Services. Velatura HIE Corporation offers affiliation and possible integration opportunities to HIEs, while Velatura Services provides innovative solutions and services to free standing HIEs. USQHIN provides a national solution to aid organizations in meeting the TEFCA regulations.
“Angie and Rick are both highly experienced executives who have contributed significantly to the field of health information technology,” said Tim Pletcher, DHA, CEO of MiHIN. “I look forward to working with both of them and drawing on each of their respective insights and expertise. Their collective commitment to and understanding of the field will serve Velatura well for years to come.”
Bass and Wilkening join Doug Dietzman, Executive Vice President of USQHIN, on the VPBC Executive Leadership team. Prior to the affiliation and integration of Great Lakes Health Connect (GLHC) with MiHIN in 2020, Dietzman was the CEO of GLHC.
###
About Velatura
Velatura Public Benefit Corporation creatively connects and aligns people, organizations, technology, ideas and information in both the public and private sectors to improve healthcare, reduce costs and to increase satisfaction of stakeholders in the value chain. Established in 2018, Velatura extends MiHIN’s modular and scalable interoperability products and services outside of Michigan and exclusively provide solutions to organizations needing the ability to interoperate and seamlessly share electronic information.
Attachment
Courtney Meister Michigan Health Information Network Shared Services 517-336-5714 courtney.meister@mihin.org Emily Mata Michigan Health Information Network Shared Services 517-745-8835 emily.mata@mihin.org
