Our healthcare advisors are leading experts in infectious disease transmission and the hospital industry.
Eli N. Perencevich, MD, MS
Dr. Perencevich is an infectious disease physician and epidemiologist studying emerging pathogens and nosocomial infections. His research focuses on the transmission dynamics of nosocomial pathogens, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Clostridium difficile and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). He is particularly interested in identifying the most effective and cost-effective methods for controlling these pathogens. Dr. Perencevich is currently a Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Iowa. He was previously an Adjunct Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
Dr. Perencevich holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Michigan, a Medical Doctor degree from Case Western Reserve University, and a Masters of Science degree in Epidemiology from the Harvard School of Public Health. He was an Intern and Resident at The New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, Chief Resident at NYU Downtown Hospital, and was a Fellow in Infectious Diseases at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Dr. Perencevich has over 100 publications in peer-reviewed journals and is lead author on a national guideline recommending methods for determining the economic impact of infection control interventions..
Thomas M. Claffey, MD
Dr. Claffey has over 40 years of experience on the front line of infectious disease. Dr. Claffey is the Infectious Diseases Director at Maine Medical Center and an Epidemiologist at Mercy Hospital in Portland, Maine. He is also the President of Intermed, a 55 physician multi-specialty group where he oversees strategy and operations, as well as the Chairman of the Joint Policy Board of UniPhy of Maine.
Dr. Claffey also serves on the Management Committee of NOVA Healthcare, and is a Member of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the American Society of Internal Medicine, and the American College of Physicians. Dr. Claffey received his Bachelor of Science degree cum laude from Boston College, his Medical Doctor degree from the University of Vermont, and was an Intern and Resident at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, CT, and was a Resident and a Fellow in Infectious Diseases at the University of Iowa.
Edward A. Eckenhoff
Mr. Eckenhoff is the Chairman of the PurThread Technologies Healthcare Advisory Board. He is the Founder and Former President & CEO of the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington, D.C., where he currently serves as President Emeritus. Mr. Eckenhoff has been an active member of many health-related organizations and community groups across the country. He currently serves on the District of Columbia Hospital Association Board of Directors. Mr. Eckenhoff is the immediate past chairman of the American Medical Rehabilitation Providers Association (AMRPA) and has also served as a member of the Board of Directors of the National Organization on Disability (NOD). He is a member of the Healthcare Research and Development Institute, Inc. (HRDI) and a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE). Mr. Eckenhoff is a former trustee and member of the Executive Committee of the American Hospital Association.
Over the years, Mr. Eckenhoff’s leadership in the healthcare field has been recognized by various organizations. The American Medical Association awarded him the Citation of a Layman for Distinguished Service, the highest honor it bestows on a non-physician. In 1989, he was named “Washingtonian of the Year” by Washingtonian magazine. In 2001, Mr. Eckenhoff received the Regent’s Award from the American College of Healthcare Executives and was named “Alumnus of the Year” by Washington University School of Medicine, Hospital Administration Program. Mr. Eckenhoff holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Transylvania University in Kentucky, a Masters in Education from the University of Kentucky, and a Masters in Healthcare Administration from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
Edward F. Vonesh, Jr.
Edward F. Vonesh, Jr., Ph.D., FASA, serves as the biostatistical advisor to PurThread Technologies. Dr. Vonesh is a full professor within the Department of Preventive Medicine at Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine. He is also the managing member of Vonesh Statistical Consulting, LLC, and serves as an adjunct professor in the Division of Statistics at Northern Illinois University. For 16 years, Dr. Vonesh filled technical leadership positions at Baxter Healthcare with a focus on statistics and its applications in clinical trials, epidemiology and outcomes research.
Mel Hall
Mel Hall is the former CEO and President of Press Ganey Associates, Inc. Press Ganey counts more than 7,000 healthcare facilities as clients including more than 45% of U.S. hospitals. Mel now serves as Chairman of Press Ganey, Senior Healthcare Advisor for SNR Denton, and Consultant to the private equity firm American Securities Capital Partners. Mel has a B.A. in History and Political Science from Taylor University and a Ph.D. in Sociology, Research Methods, and Organizational Development from the University of Notre Dame.
James Moriarty
James Moriarty is an entrepreneur with more than four decades of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, and is currently the Chief Executive Officer and owner of The Synapse Group, Inc., a specialty consulting practice with operations in The United States and Canada. Synapse has helped pioneer programs and processes that address the unique information requirements of medical specialists working in technically-sophisticated fields including organ transplantation, cancer, infectious disease, rheumatology, immunology, cardiovascular disease and vaccines. In addition to winning several program awards in the United States, Synapse was recognized by the Burlington Ontario Chamber of Commerce as Company of the Year in 2004 for its achievements related to advances in electronic data collection platforms for drug clinical trials and patient registries.
Mr. Moriarty spent the first 13 years of his career working for two large multi-national pharmaceutical manufacturers, where he progressed through positions of increasing responsibility in marketing management, new business development, product acquisition and licensing, clinical operations and regulatory affairs. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of BlueRush Media Group Corp. located in Toronto, Canada and Lisoma Canada, a subsidiary of Lisoma International Ltd, a pharmaceutical manufacturer located in the United Kingdom.