A Strong Healthcare Heritage

Curtis Watkins is President and Chief Executive Officer of CereCore. In this role he is responsible for the strategic implementation and support of information technology services, applications and processes for CereCore’s clients. Before serving as president and CEO, he held the position of vice president and chief strategy officer for CereCore. Curtis has more than 20 years of IT experience, including IT strategic consulting, systems strategy development and leadership.

Prior to joining CereCore, Curtis served as the corporate vice president and deputy chief information officer (CIO) for Community Health Systems (CHS). Responsible for hospital clinical systems strategy and product development, he also led the organization’s enterprise architecture and meaningful use program. Earlier in his career, he served as CIO for St. David’s Health System, as well as a program director with Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), successfully leading one of the largest IT realignments in the company’s history.

With an extensive track record of IT leadership, Curtis has refined the development of IT organizational support structures, in addition to complex system implementations and integrations. He earned his MBA from the University of Massachusetts and a bachelor’s degree from Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. Curtis is an avid supporter of the United Way.

Brigham Freeze is Chief Financial Officer of CereCore. In this role, he manages all aspects of financial planning, budgeting, accounting, billing and reporting as well as providing oversight of CereCore’s contracts management team.

A Certified Public Accountant (Inactive), Brigham has more than 20 years of experience in financial and accounting management roles. Prior to joining CereCore, Brigham was employed with HealthSpring/Cigna and Iasis Healthcare. Brigham also spent seven years with Ernst & Young’s Audit and Advisory Services group where he served a number of publicly-held healthcare companies in the Nashville area. Brigham served for close to ten years as treasurer for his church. 

Peyman is the Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) for CereCore. In his role he works closely with the CEO and company officers to formulate new business ventures and helps guide the team to achieve the company’s long-term vision. Peyman is responsible for developing the strategy framework and tactical plans to achieve the vision. He also assists in leading key strategic initiatives, including mergers and acquisitions, transformation, partnerships, and business expansion and development plans.  

Peyman holds a Bachelor of Science in Computational Mathematics and Engineering from Michigan State University and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Michigan. Peyman is a Certified Healthcare Executive (CFCHE) through CHIME College and has served on the board of Tennessee Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (TNHIMMS) and Southeast HFMA. 

Phil oversees the strategic development of service offerings across our global business lines and professional practices. He works with colleagues to offer healthcare IT consulting services that will enable health leaders and organizations to deliver high-quality patient care in the communities they serve. Phil has been working in healthcare IT services for more than 20 years and has been leading sales, marketing, and business development for more than a decade at CereCore.

Prior to CereCore, Phil was general manager and vice president of Sales & Marketing for several enterprise resource planning (ERP) consulting companies. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business from Taylor University.      

Joel oversees CereCore client relationships and manages day-to-day company operations. He brings more than two decades of experience in technology leadership and Fortune 100 operations and excels at nurturing client relationships. He previously served as VP of client outsource services at CereCore, was a client executive for Parallon, and he led multi-site, multi-product implementations at HCA Healthcare. He spent six years at Pfizer and gained operations experience managing clinical trial and supply chain applications, achieving significant cost savings and process improvements.

Joel earned his Bachelor of Science in Economics from Worcester State University. He is a certified project management professional, Six Sigma Black Belt, and CHCIO. 

Craig McCollum is responsible for MEDITECH International Services for CereCore International and MEDITECH implementation and delivery services for CereCore. Prior to CereCore, he held the position of MEDITECH practice director for Vision Consulting. Craig has more than 30 years of healthcare IT and finance experience, including practice leadership, business development, EHR project leadership, EHR implementation, and financial management. 

Craig previously served as MEDITECH practice manager for Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC), where he was responsible for project management of large health system MEDITECH revenue cycle implementation and multiple MEDITECH related consulting engagements. Craig also served as financial applications director at Cook Children’s Health Care System in Fort Worth, Texas and managed MEDITECH revenue cycle/financial implementation across system. 

Craig is a member of Medical Users Software Exchange (MUSE) and Healthcare Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS). Craig is MEDITECH READY certified in project management, general financials, supply chain management and human resources planning. He earned a Bachelor of Science from Fresno State University. 

Josh Dunaway leads development and delivery of advanced data solutions and services by a talented team of experienced technology consultants at CereCore. He has more than 20 years of healthcare IT experience.

Prior to CereCore, he served as the director of a technical consulting practice leading the successful delivery of integration programs for a large hospital system helping them to achieve goals in areas of EHR conversions, ambulatory and meaningful use in over 80 hospitals. Josh’s healthcare IT foundation was cemented through 10 years serving the IT department of a large hospital system leading clinical application, technology implementation and operation. 

Zach Grieshop supports client organizations with technical services that are foundational to their operations and success. Zach brings over 20 years of experience in IT leadership and technical positions to the work of supporting our clients with network management and data center transformation. 

Before joining CereCore, Zach held roles such as VP, CIO, and CISO for organizations where he spearheaded technical and innovation strategies for growth and success. Zach earned his Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and his Master of Business Administration from The University of Findlay. His additional professional credentials include CISA, CISM, and MPMP. 

Bob Gronberg brings 35 years of hospital-based healthcare IT, software vendor, and professional services leadership experience to CereCore’s MEDITECH Professional Services practice. Bob has been instrumental in focusing efforts to maximize the inherent and often under-utilized MEDITECH EHR/EPR functionality for clinicians and physicians across the market, all while building highly functional teams with a strong passion for the work, our clients, and the patient communities they serve. 

Chris Wickersham leads IT support services at CereCore. He traces his passion for healthcare support back to his first job as a support analyst helping providers resolve issues. For more than a decade he has held various roles in health IT, from implementing EHRs for hospital systems to developing training programs for support teams. A dynamic and forward-thinking leader, Chris harnesses the power of metrics and employee development programs to drive continual process improvements that are critical to efficient hospital operations. He holds multiple certifications/credentials including CHIME Certified Healthcare CIO (CHCIO), EpicCare Ambulatory, Epic Orders and Clinical Documentation, ITIL, and Six Sigma.

Stephanie Murray oversees professional, staffing, and advisory services within the Epic practice at CereCore. With more than 15 years in the healthcare IT industry, Stephanie brings an eclectic background from her experience working in a healthcare organization, EMR vendor, and consulting firm. 

She gained her unique perspective working with healthcare organizations on numerous clinical healthcare technology initiatives and in a variety of roles from training and implementation to project management and consulting. Throughout her career she has tapped into her leadership strength as an active listener and her ability to understand the situational needs of a client – both of which have been key to helping organizations obtain their goals. Stephanie earned her Bachelors of Arts in Philosophy and Sociology with a Certificate in Criminal Justice from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She also holds seven active Epic Certifications.