Why Proliance Surgeons?

Meet Our Management Team with Career-Long Dedication to Healthcare

Mark Barnhart, CEO

Image of Mark Barnhart, CEO of Proliance Surgeons

Mark has more than 32 years of healthcare industry experience, having served in both managed care and health system management roles during his career. Most recently, Mark served as a vice president for seven years at Community Health Systems (CHS), one of the largest publicly-traded hospital companies in the U.S. and a leading operator of general acute-care hospitals in communities across the country. Mark has led CHS’ value-based healthcare initiatives in 15 accountable care organizations and bundled payments across 20 states and 120 hospitals.   

Prior to his work at CHS, Mark served for 10 years as chief operating officer for the physician practices at two academic medical centers: West Penn Allegheny Health System, which has more than 600 physicians, and Ohio State University, with more than 800 physicians.In these roles, Mark led initiatives that focused on creating medical cost savings while improving the care it is providing patients, a priority that he brings with him to his role at Proliance.

Alex Gross, CFO

Image of Alex Gross, CFO of Proliance Surgeons

Alex serves as the Chief Financial Officer for Proliance Surgeons where he supports Proliance’s 100+ care centers in Washington State, including medical clinics, ambulatory surgery centers, imaging centers and other health services. Alex has more than twenty years of healthcare finance, operations and start-up experience and has a passion for improving the lives of those in the communities Proliance supports. Alex is a Northwest native and received his BS in Business Administration and Accounting from the University of Washington.

Laura Kleisle, Chief Risk Officer

Image of Laura Kleisle, Chief Risk Officer of Proliance Surgeons

As Chief Risk Officer, Laura supports Proliance’s CEO and Board of Directors with the organization’s compliance, regulatory and risk program. Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Laura began her legal career over twenty years ago and is known around the office for her attention to detail and no-nonsense demeanor. Laura received her Bachelor of Architecture from Illinois Institute of Technology and her JD from Washington University in St. Louis. In her spare time, she is an ardent fan of NCAA Division III lacrosse and enjoys visiting the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks in Ballard.

Shawn Quigley, Vice President of Business Development

Image of Shawn Quigley, Vice President of Business Development at Proliance Surgeons

Shawn has been with Proliance Surgeons for eight years serving in a variety of capacities, currently as Vice President of Business Development. She oversees the integration of new practices into Proliance Surgeons and manages the project management office. Her team is responsible for enterprise projects that include the Bundled Payment Care Initiative, as well as other government and commercial payer programs. Shawn brings 30 years of healthcare experience to Proliance. She received her BS in Physical Therapy from the University of Puget Sound and holds an MBA in Healthcare Administration.

Curt Kwak, Chief Information Officer

Image of Curt Kwak, Chief Information Officer at Proliance Surgeons

As the Chief Information Officer for Proliance Surgeons, Curt oversees all technology implementation and maintenance necessary to meet the business requirements of the 80+ Care Center locations within the Proliance Surgeons enterprise. Previously, Curt was the Chief Information Officer at the Washington Health Benefit Exchange (Wahealthplanfinder.org) and prior to that, at Providence Health & Services, WA region. Curt’s organization was responsible for all IT systems and components responsible for patient care, business delivery and strategic development.

Curt earned his Executive M.B.A. and a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Washington. Curt is currently a CHCIO (Certified Health CIO) and a Fellow with CHIME.

Cary Brinkley, Vice President of Human Resources

Cary serves as VP of Human Resources for Proliance Surgeons. She has more than 25 years performing key Human Resources and Organizational Effectiveness roles for Fortune 50, 100, and 500 companies as well as entrepreneurial business ventures. She is well versed in a multitude of environments, with 15+ years in healthcare, 7 of which was working as the HR leader for multispecialty physician organizations, with more than 600 physicians and providers. Cary received her bachelor’s degree in organizational effectiveness and education and a master’s degree in clinical sociology from Marquette University and carries numerous HR/OD designations and certifications to augment her experience. She is persistently focusing on her personal tagline, “Igniting Success through your most valuable resource…Your People.” She is also an avid lifelong learner and educator who thrives on matching Human Resources Solutions to business needs.

Peggy Wellman, Vice President of ASC Operations

Peggy serves as VP of ASC Operations for Proliance Surgeons. She has extensive experience in ambulatory surgery centers. Most recently she was the Market President for United Surgical Partners International (USPI) for the Pacific Market and oversaw a regional team that managed, developed and acquired 33 ASCs in California and Oregon. Prior to that role, she served as an RVP for USPI in California. She also had the opportunity to develop and manage physician owned surgical hospitals in states throughout the west, primarily focused on joint and spine surgery when she was working for National Surgical Hospitals. She is a strong advocate for the important role that ASCs play in the healthcare delivery system focused on personalized, high quality patient care delivered for a lower cost than hospitals. She served on the Executive Board of the CA ASC association for 7 years, working to improve relationships with health plans and regulators and has advocated for ASCs at the Federal and State level.

April Betts-Gibson, Vice President of Clinic Operations

As VP of Clinic Operations, April and her team serve 30+ Care Centers throughout Proliance Surgeons. She has 35 years of comprehensive operations management experience in outpatient healthcare settings. She has held leadership positions in state and national health organizations including the Washington Ambulatory Surgery Center Association, Washington State Medical Group Management Association, Medical Group Management Association, and was appointed by Gov. Inslee to the Washington Health Benefit Exchange Board in January 2018. She is currently Chair of the Pierce County Workforce Development Council and a strong advocate for promoting enhancement of skill sets. She has a BA in Accounting from St. Martin’s University and an MHA from Chapman. Her personal tagline is “Make a difference today.” In her spare time, she hangs out with her favorite people—her six grandkids, travels, and enjoys working on her photography skills.

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