Our Management Team
Our veteran management team has a proven track record of developing and managing successful outpatient facilities. Our expert knowledge of spine center development allows us to handle operational tasks, enabling spine surgeons to focus on increasing practice productivity. Additionally, our medical advisory board members are spine surgeons who are leaders in developing the newest spinal surgery techniques and procedures.
Marcus Williamson, President, NeoSpine Division
Marcus Williamson is a seasoned professional with more than 23 years of experience in surgical facilities, hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers. Prior to joining NeoSpine, Williamson served as the Director of Operations for AmSurg Corp., a Nashville-based owner and operator of outpatient surgical facilities. Williamson was responsible for partnership board governance, acquisition due diligence, strategic planning, as well as leadership training and development. Williamson’s projects included growth within some of the more challenging markets in the country. Additionally, Williamson spent more than nine years working specifically with physician practice partnerships at AmSurg. Before AmSurg, Williamson served in director roles with Prudential HealthCare, Cigna, Focus HealthCare and United HealthCare with a concentration in physician services, network development and executive level contract negotiation.
Ashley Bampfield, Vice President of Marketing and Communications
Ashley Chism Bampfield started Tulip Marketing & Communications in 2007. Ashley is an M.B.A graduate from the Fogelman College of Business and Economics at the University of Memphis and has more than ten years of marketing and communications experience. Companies she has worked for include Amsurg, Katcher Vaughn & Bailey Public Relations, Methodist Healthcare, Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center and Union Planters Bank (now Regions). Ashley's work has produced numerous awards from the Healthcare Marketing Report and Public Relations Society of America. She is a graduate of the prestigious Maurice Elliott Leadership Institute and has written several nationally published healthcare-related articles.
Otto Griffin, Vice President, Materials Management, Symbion
Symbion operates 60 plus ambulatory surgery centers and 3 hospitals in 24 states. Mr. Griffin is responsible for Symbion’s supply chain management program. Mr. Griffin negotiates vendor agreements for Symbion centers and works with their Group Purchasing Organization. Mr. Griffin began his healthcare career as an Army Medic in 1970 and has worked in healthcare materials management for over 25 years. Prior to Symbion, Mr. Griffin was Director of Materials Management for Metro Nashville Hospital Authority. Mr. Griffin has worked for several of the top healthcare companies in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas and Tennessee at hospital level. He served as President of the Arkansas Society of Hospital Purchasing and Materials Managers from 1997 to 1998. Mr. Griffin is also a retired Officer from the United States Army Reserves.
Jorge Gutierrez, Assistant Vice President
Jorge Gutierrez was named Assistant Vice President for the NeoSpine Division in March 2008. He previously served as Director of Operations & Financial Analysis. Prior to joining Symbion, he worked in the auto industry. Gutierrez brings a diverse background and more than 14 years of experience in Financial & Cost Accounting in the manufacturing and ambulatory surgery industries to his position.
Nancy Ledgerwood, Assistant Vice President of Clinical Services
Nancy Ledgerwood has more than 16 years of nursing experience, 14 of which have been spent in the ambulatory surgery center setting. Prior to joining Symbion in, Ledgerwood served as Director of Clinical Services for AmSurg Corp, a Nashville-based owner and operator of outpatient surgical facilities where she was responsible for the clinical operations of eight ambulatory surgery centers in California and Washington. Ledgerwood's responsibilities at AmSurg included assessment of centers for compliance with Federal, State and other accrediting bodies, cost containment in medical supplies, ancillary contracts, equipment procurement and staffing, acquisition due diligence, as well as employee training and mentoring. Prior to AmSurg, Ledgerwood was the Nurse Manager of a start-up ambulatory surgery center where she was responsible for the planning, organizing and directing of all activities related to the clinical operations of the facility. Additionally, Ms. Ledgerwood has served as the Quality Coordinator for four multi-specialty ambulatory surgery centers in Ohio, Nebraska and Missouri.
Kenneth C. Mitchell, Senior Vice President, Mergers and Acquisitions, Symbion
Prior to his appointment as Senior Vice President of Mergers and Acquisitions in September 2007, Mr. Mitchell served as Symbion’s Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President since 2002. He served in a similar capacity for UniPhy prior to its merger with Ambulatory Resource Centers to form Symbion. Earlier in his career, Mr. Mitchell was Chief Financial Officer of American HealthMark, Inc. and also served as Vice President and Controller for HCA Management Company.
Jamison Pearlman, Vice President of Managed Care
Jamison Pearlman has an extensive healthcare background with over 14 years of managed care contracting experience representing a variety of constituencies including hospitals, large multi-specialty independent practice associations, diagnostic imaging centers, ambulatory surgery centers, and commercial insurance companies. Prior to joining NeoSpine, Mr. Pearlman served as Director of Managed Care for Foundation Surgical Affiliates, a national surgical development company, where he was responsible for securing payor contracts on behalf of owned operating partnerships and developing same store revenue opportunities. Previous experiences include leading payor contracting initiatives and managing the credentialing process for the 750 physician member practice plan affiliated with the University Of Texas Health Science Center Of San Antonio. Mr. Pearlman also has several years experience working on the commercial insurance side of the healthcare industry, working in the actuarial division of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas (HCSC), where he served as Senior Financial Analyst modeling hospital rate proposals, administering capitation processing, and determining enterprise financial impact of new provider fee schedules.
Mr. Pearlman earned his BS in Political Science from Southern Methodist University. Currently Mr. Pearlman resides in Nashville, TN with his wife Julie and their two sons.
Medical Advisory Board Members
Reginald J. Davis, M.D.
Baltimore Neurosurgical Associates, Baltimore, MD
Richard G. Fessler, M.D.
University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL
Kevin Foley, M.D.
Semmes-Murphey Clinic, Memphis, TN
Steve Johnson, M.D.
Western Neurological Group, Denver, CO
Greg Lanford, M.D.
St. Thomas Outpatient Neurosurgical Center, Nashville, TN
Mick Perez-Cruet, M.D.
Michigan Head and Spine Institute, Detroit, MI
James T. Robertson, M.D.
Semmes-Murphey Clinic, Memphis, TN
Jeffrey Thramann, M.D.
Boulder Neurological Associates, Boulder, CO
Richard Wohns, M.D., M.B.A.
Brain and Spine Center, Puyallup, WA
Ken Yonemura, M.D.
University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
