Kidney Care Company Adds Former Fresenius Medical Care Executive, Digital Health Industry Veteran, Clinical Expert to Senior Team
SAN FRANCISCO, October 30, 2018 – Cricket Health, a tech-enabled provider of integrated kidney care, today announced the addition of three health care industry veterans to the company’s senior leadership team. Former Fresenius Medical Care executive Robert Sepucha will be joining the company as chief administrative officer; former longtime digital health engineering leader Sam Mankiewicz will join as chief technology officer; and clinical expert and veteran Sound Physicians executive Dianna Budgeon will join as head of clinical operations.
“At Cricket Health we have undertaken an ambitious goal — transforming our nation’s broken kidney care system. To do that, we know we need to bring together the best minds in kidney care, technology, and clinical operations,” said CEO Arvind Rajan. “Bobby, Sam, and Dianna together bring deep experience in health and renal care, along with critical engineering experience to Cricket Health, and we are proud to have them join us in our mission to eliminate the burden of kidney disease.”
Sepucha previously led government affairs, strategic communications, and industry outreach at Fresenius Medical Care for nearly a decade. He will serve as chief administrative officer and will be responsible for Cricket Health’s legal and sales strategy.
“I don’t think anyone is satisfied with the current state of renal care in the U.S.,” Sepucha said. “We have a real opportunity to make meaningful change for patients, providers, and payers alike. I am excited to join this team of relentlessly optimistic leaders who are dedicated to making this change a reality.”
Mankiewicz is a veteran engineer with deep expertise in digital health. He previously served as chief technology officer at Healthvana, a digital health start-up and patient engagement software platform for health care providers. Before that, he held the same role for crowdfunding pioneer Kiva.org.
“Technology, when mission-driven, has the power to change lives, and I’m honored to join Cricket Health in the transformation of kidney care,” Mankiewicz said. “I’ve been fortunate in my career to see what happens when a small, passionate team uses technology to coordinate at scale to further health care, and I look forward to continuing that at Cricket.”
A registered nurse, Budgeon comes to Cricket from a decade at Sound Physicians, where she most recently served as vice president of clinical performance and nursing. She previously served as a clinical nurse in the U.S. Air Force/Air National Guard, and as a critical care nurse at Providence Health & Services.
“Cricket Health brings the focus of kidney care back to people with chronic kidney disease Budgeon said. “As a clinical leader, it is important that we help patients live their best lives, and I am proud I work for a place that values each individual and believes all people are worthy of high-quality care.”
Today’s announcement comes on the heels of Cricket Health’s recent completion of a $24 million Series A funding round. That funding will go toward expanding its tech-enabled programs and clinical footprint, including critical prevention efforts and the creation of new home and in-center dialysis programs. Sepucha, Mankiewicz, and Budgeon join acclaimed nephrologist and Chief Medical Officer Carmen A. Peralta, M.D., MAS, and Chief Business Officer Danny Shapiro, who previously served in senior roles at DaVita Kidney Care and Home Care Assistance, on the company’s senior leadership team.
Cricket Health’s treatment plan prioritizes slowing the progression of kidney failure and keeping patients out of the hospital by providing remote, in-person, and at-home care; a multidisciplinary care team to coordinate care and manage outcomes; state-of-the-art technology to provide patient education and 24/7 peer and clinical support; and dialysis care either at home or in redesigned centers that put patient empowerment first.
About Cricket Health
Cricket Health is a specialty care provider of integrated nephrology and dialysis care for people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Cricket Health delivers world-class, technology-enabled multidisciplinary care to achieve the best outcomes possible for patients and the best value for partners, keeping patients healthy and out of the hospital, accelerating access to transplant, and increasing home dialysis adoption. The company’s team and advisors include leaders in health care and technology, and is based in San Francisco. Learn more at www.crickethealth.com or follow us @crickethealth.
For more information:
Courtney Lamie
courtney@crosscutstrategies.com
202-792-7200
