MICHAEL DRAA
Chief Executive Officer and EVP Healthcare
Warbird’s approach to performance improvement is designed to quickly but successfully transition healthcare organizations from study and assessment of performance improvement opportunities to execution and results. Key to making this rapid transition is our ability to tailor our approach to match the specific needs of clients.
Whether healthcare organizations require comprehensive or narrowly focused performance improvement assessments, Warbird provides experienced operators and subject matter experts with decades of experience leading and executing performance improvement and turnaround plans.
Warbird’s practitioner-consultant model delivers guaranteed results that empower our clients to sustain financial and operational improvements.
The Warbird Performance Improvement & Turnaround Difference
Expert-led
Warbird’s approach begins with a rapid, on-the-ground identification of performance improvement opportunities led by experienced healthcare improvement-focused operators. These experienced operators limit the amount of external distractions that interfere with the ongoing daily management of the hospital, allow all interested parties to quickly identify and prioritize initiatives, and reduces the threat of “analysis paralysis.”
Quantifiable Impact
Warbird provides healthcare organizations with quantifiable performance improvement opportunities that have a clear and direct effect on the organization’s financial statements and balance sheet. This focus on quantification allows clients to prioritize performance improvement initiatives and identify resource needs.
Sustainable Results
A performance improvement initiative is only successful if the improvement is sustained. Warbird tailors its performance improvement services to best match our clients’ available resources, their specific implementation needs, and the requirements of sustaining the identified performance improvement opportunities. In designing implementation plans, Warbird transfers both the knowledge and tools to our clients to ensure their ongoing ability to maintain improved operating results long after the engagement has concluded.
Focus on Clinical Quality
Warbird’s OnDemand clinical specialists (physicians, nurses and others) are engaged from the outset of every engagement, grounding our performance improvement approach in enhancing clinical quality, realizing the financial benefit of enhanced clinical quality, improving the patient experience, and optimizing clinical operating processes to ensure efficient clinical operations.
Warbird OnDemand Resources
Healthcare organizations experiencing declining performance many times require additional resources to assist in executing performance improvement and turnaround plans. Warbird’s OnDemand Platform provides healthcare organizations with access to tested and proven operators at all levels of experience from C-Suite to technical staff. These resources are not independent contractors; they are dedicated Warbird employees who have sat in the seats of the positions they fill.
Stakeholder Communication & Confidence
Warbird’s performance improvement approach provides an experienced and credible voice to communicate with all the stakeholders invested in healthcare organizations whether that be the community, patients, providers, creditors or lenders and investors, management teams, boards, or other involved stakeholders. This confidence is indispensable for stabilizing stakeholders’ perspective of the organization and undertaking the necessary change and improvement.
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MICHAEL DRAA
Chief Executive Officer and EVP Healthcare
Michael R. Draa has been our Chief Executive Officer since January 1, 2012 when he formed Warbird Consulting Partners by leading a management buyout of the Accounting Advisory Practice from Huron Consulting Group. While at Huron, Michael served as the Practice Lead for the Accounting Advisory Practice. Prior to joining Huron, he was a partner at Callaway Partners, overseeing National Service Delivery on all projects. Mike also currently serves as the acting EVP of Warbird’s U.S. Healthcare Practice.
Mr. Draa has more than 30 years of accounting and consulting experience during which he has held several executive and senior management roles including accounting, sales and marketing and operations. During that time he has successfully led both strategic and tactical projects and teams. Mike’s deep industry experience includes Healthcare, Technology, Manufacturing, Automotive, and Media and he has vast expertise in many functional areas including: management of restatements, turnarounds, bankruptcy reorganization and liquidation, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, system conversions (ERP), shared service implementation, start-ups, compliance, process re-engineering and technology ventures.
Mr. Draa sits on the Board of Directors of non-profit organizations and holds a degree in accounting and business management from Cedarville University.
DOUG FENSTERMAKER
Managing Partner and Sr. CFO
Doug has 35 years of healthcare experience, primarily in executive management and senior leadership positions. Doug has functioned successfully as a managing partner in several roles including his present role as leader of the CFO Consulting Network within Warbird’s Healthcare Practice. He has also performed as a Sr. CFO (interim) and Sr. Financial Advisor to hospital and system clients. He has provided expertise in financial turnarounds and in margin and performance improvement efforts. Doug also assists Warbird Healthcare in business sales origination and client network relationships. He joined Warbird Consulting Partners as its Healthcare Managing Parter in January 2012.
In 1999, Doug joined Stockamp & Associates as a partner and managing director. Stockamp was acquired by Huron Consulting Group in 2008. Prior to his tenure at Stockamp, Doug’s career included 18 years of experience as a CFO, including work for the HealthEast Care System in St. Paul, Minnesota and at Good Samaritan Hospital within the Legacy Health System in Portland, OR. While at Legacy, Doug also served as Corporate Senior Vice President for Managed Care and Revenue Management.
Doug has a BA in Economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a Master of Public Administration (Financial Planning) from California State University, Long Beach.
EDUCATION AND CERTIFICATIONS
Bachelor of Arts, Economics: University of Southern California, Santa Barbara
Master of Public Administration (Financial Planning); California State University, Long Beach
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
Healthcare CFO Roundtable, member since 1993
Healthcare Management Academy, member since 2001
American Hospital Association, executive liaison since 2007
ROB KIRSCH
Managing Partner, M&A Services
Rob Kirsch has spent nearly two decades working directly with boards, senior leadership and diverse groups of stakeholders in the areas of finance, operations and affiliation advisory. He is an accomplished leader in navigating clients through complex and challenging issues experienced through periods of change or distress.
Having advised on over 50 hospital transactions nationally, Rob is recognized as an industry leader in both the structuring and fairness of partnerships and affiliations throughout the country. He has provided testimony on process, valuation and fairness in dozens of transactions before regulatory bodies or states’ attorney general.
Prior to joining Warbird, Rob helped establish and introduce services and capabilities in the Mergers, Affiliations, and Partnerships practice, Performance Improvement practice and Valuation practice at Stroudwater Associates. He served in leadership roles in those practices from their founding. Rob also lead his prior firm through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) conversion while serving as its Chief Executive Officer and board member for the last several years.
DEBORAH ERICKSON
Managing Director, Healthcare Revenue Cycle & OnDemand Solutions
Deborah Erickson has been a Managing Director within Warbird Healthcare’s revenue cycle solutions since 2014. Her duties include client relationships, delivery and development of new services for our clients. While at Warbird, she has delivered financial and operational improvements within the areas of Revenue Cycle, IT and Finance. Prior to Warbird, Deborah was the Healthcare Operations Director for Huron Consulting and also had experience as the Leader of the Talent Management Team.
Deborah has over 20 years of experience in finance, accounting, operations, business development and recruiting including a Big 4 audit background. Her deep industry experience includes the financial services, hospitality, healthcare, manufacturing, non-profit and service industries. Positions held include Vice President of Finance and Administration, Director of Talent Management, Controller and Finance Manager of Planning & Analysis, among others. She was also selected to do an expatriate assignment in the United Kingdom to transition the financial reporting department to a new corporate location.
Deborah earned her BBA at the University of Massachusetts and is a Certified Public Accountant in the state of Georgia.
JOHN BEHN
Managing Director, Revenue Cycle Optimization
John has over 25 years of experience in healthcare financial management, hospital operations, physician practice administration, and revenue cycle management. He is an accomplished revenue cycle practitioner, focused on all aspects of revenue cycle operations, performance improvement, training, and education.
He has worked with hundreds of hospitals and physician practices to improve financial outcomes, compliance, and customer service. His clients include critical access hospitals, community hospitals, academic medical centers, large multi-specialty physician groups, rural health clinics, and sole physician practices.
Prior to joining Warbird, John helped create, introduce, and establish comprehensive revenue cycle services at Stroudwater Revenue Cycle Solutions while serving as its President. John has also served as Revenue Cycle Director and Financial Controller at two Academic Medical Centers as well as Physician Practice Administrator
for a large multi-specialty practice.
John specializes in: Revenue Cycle Assessments, Hospital Turnaround Efforts, Physician Practice Management, Compliance Mitigation, Business Office Development, Revenue Cycle Education (through webinars and onsite seminars), Rural Health Clinic Operations, Revenue Cycle Foundational elements (chargemaster, pricing, and revenue capture), Hospital and Physician Practice Performance Improvement, Hospital New Business Development and Commercial Contract Review and Negotiation.
B.A. in Political Science and Business Administration – Boston University
M.P.A. Healthcare – Suffolk University
C. Ryan Sprinkle
Managing Director, M&A Services
Ryan Sprinkle is a seasoned advisor and accomplished practitioner in Warbird’s advisory practice. He has navigated hospital and health system clients in multiple states through asset divestitures, mergers and acquisitions, and strategic planning initiatives. Additionally, Ryan regularly works with healthcare organizations, alongside legal counsel, creditor bodies, and hospital leadership teams to develop and implement turnaround plans. Prior to joining Warbird, Ryan co-led the Performance Improvement practice group and served as senior member of the mergers and acquisitions practice group for a boutique healthcare consulting firm. Areas of Expertise: Affiliation Advisory, Performance Improvement / Turnaround Services, Distressed Hospitals, and Strategic Planning.
As a professional, Ryan is expert at assisting clients in identifying strategic options and executing plans that deliver long-term financial stability. A frequent writer and speaker on topics of healthcare policy and operations, Ryan has a passion for working with other healthcare leaders to apply customized solutions that are informed by prior clients’ experiences.