Bernard Chrisphonte
Expert Consultants
Bernard is a licensed nursing home administrator in New York, New Jersey, and Fla. He has a strong clinical background as a registered respiratory therapist with over 26 years of experience in both the acute and long term care setting. He is adept at treating both neonatal and geriatric ventilator dependent populations and has significant experience in the inception, development and implementation of ventilator units. Bernard is knowledgeable and experienced in creating systems for efficient functionality of ventilator units as well as proficient in creating policies and procedures for vent units which adhere to governmental regulations.
Robert Nemeth
Rob has been involved in nursing home for over 25 years. He has worked as a Director of Nursing for over 15 years and has also served as a Nursing Home Administrator. He specializes in regulatory compliance and boasts multiple "no deficiency" surveys in multiple facilities. He is adept at creating policies which are facility specific and meet necessary regulation. Rob is a charismatic speaker with offers interesting informative and exciting in-service seminars.
Michael Perillo
Michael's career in public health has included emergency preparedness with a focus in health care facility preparedness and plan development and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS preparedness compliance. He was a member of the New York State Department of Health – Office of Health Emergency Preparedness (NYSDOH – OHEP), serving as the central office OHEP Manager of Health Care Facility Preparedness. His experiences included grant writing, health care facility plan development, design and conduct of preparedness exercises, continuity of operations, evacuation decision making and shelter in place. He was a member of the NYSDOH Healthcare Facility Evacuation Center (HEC) team, participated in emergency response to numerous incidents. He was the developer and overall project lead for the NYSDOH Profile Application, a health care facility evacuation planning tool. He also served as a reviewer of Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment System (DSRIP) application submissions. He has a Master of Public Health (MPH), emphasizing epidemiology and health assessment while maintaining a private practice of Chiropractic for 23 years.
John W. Gahan Jr.
Director, Bureau of Vital Access Provider Reimbursement, Office of Health Insurance Programs, NYS Department of Health. (Retired)
John began his career as an analyst with the NYS Department of Health in the Division of Health Care Financing. graduated from Bryant College with a BS degree in Accounting in 1977. Started in the Department of Health in the fall of that year, with the Division of Health Care Financing as a health care fiscal analyst and became Assistant Director in 1985 of the Bureau of Hospital Reimbursement. This bureau was merged with primary care and John became Director of the Bureau of Primary and Acute Care Reimbursement in 2005. This Bureau was responsible for all Medicaid Hospital and free-standing clinic rate setting, cost reporting and appeals. Some of the major responsibilities during his career were the implementation of the NYPHRM, HCRA and recent Medicaid Reform rate setting systems with particular involvement in the Indigent Care Pools since their inception in 1983, coordination of the Federal DSH audits for NYS, various redesigns and updates of the Institutional Cost Report, and the development and implementation of electronic rate sheet distribution through E-mail, Health Commerce System (HCS) and the WEB. In May of 2013, a reorganization of the Division of Finance and Rate Setting changed his duties where he was responsible for all provider cost reports, the Vital Access Provider Program, DSRIP program development, capital reimbursement and nursing home litigation. John retired in August 2014 after 37 years with NYS Department of Health. Now self-employed, he currently works with CHC to provide health care finance consulting work including DSRIP, Medicare and Medicaid DSH, NYS ICR, audits, FQHC applications, UPL and other related activities.