About MD Ranger

Michael Heil, AVA

Michael Heil, AVA, is a founder of MD Ranger and HealthWorks, Inc. Since 1992, HealthWorks has assisted clients throughout the United States with FMV analysis and management consulting services. Michael has 35 years experience in health care management and consulting He has served as COO and vice president of major hospitals, and consulted for the past 16 years. Other experience includes a term as president of California Shock/Trauma Air Rescue (CALSTAR) and management engineering positions in industry and hospitals. Michael received a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Lehigh University and a Masters degree in Hospital and Health Services Administration with distinction from the Graduate School of Business at Cornell University. He is an Accredited Valuation Analyst in the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts.

Penny Stroud

Penny Stroud is a founder of Cattaneo & Stroud, Inc. specializing in strategic business planning, program feasibility analysis, medical staff development planning, facilities planning, and market research for hospitals, health systems, medical groups, procurement organizations, and long-term care providers. Penny has been consulting for health care providers since 1978. In the health system area, Penny has developed detailed business plans for hospital programs that analyze financial and market performance and define strategies for future performance or size adjustments. Specific skills include market research, bed and service requirements, reimbursement analysis and understanding the financial and staffing operations of hospitals and health services. She has worked with numerous anesthesia groups and the California Society of Anesthesiologists in managed care contracting, hospital coverage arrangements and positioning issues. Her client base includes large academic medical centers, tertiary medical centers, community hospitals and rural hospitals, and single and multi-specialty medical groups. Penny received her Master's Degree in Health Administration and Planning from Johns Hopkins University and her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Stanford University. She is a member of the Society of Professionals in Healthcare, MGMA and the California Healthcare Association.

Craig Paxton, Ph.D.

Craig Paxton is a principal in Cattaneo & Stroud, Inc. specializing in health care market demand analysis, cost effectiveness analysis, software development, and forecasting. Recent assignments include inpatient bed need forecasting for many of the major hospitals and systems in California, analysis of emergency room services, managing the development of a managed care clinical reporting system for a large health plan, developing and implementing a data strategy for marketing pharmaceutical services, forecasting demand for services by patients with cystic fibrosis following state mandated newborn screening as well as critiquing the statistical validity of a regulator's negative assessment of a large California hospital's quality of care, and development of a mortality risk calculation for CABG surgeries. In addition, Craig has developed a PC-based stand alone system to analyze pharmaceutical interchanges. Craig worked for McKesson Corporation, to develop a corporate strategic plan for the hospital and health plan market and served six years as senior economist at Kaiser Permanente. Craig received his Ph.D. in economics from Northwestern University in 1987. He completed his Bachelor of Science Degree at Santa Clara University. He is currently Adjunct Professor at the University of San Francisco, College of Professional Studies. He co-authors Cattaneo & Stroud, Inc.'s annual Medical Group Survey and HMO Survey.

Brad Palmquist, Ph.D.

Brad Palmquist is chief technology officer of MD Ranger. Previously he was vice president of information services at YouGov/Polimetrix, an online polling company with major clients in both the public and private sectors. Before that he taught political science at Vanderbilt University and Harvard University, specializing in survey and other quantitative methods. He holds a B.A. in philosopy from Stanford University, a B.S. in computer science from MTSU, and a Ph.D. in political science from the University of California, Berkeley.

• Michael Heil
• Penny Stroud
• Craig Paxton
• Brad Palmquist