Management Team
Gayle Smith, RN, MBA – Vice President of Public Programs
Ms. Smith directs the Ohio Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Program (CMS) and other KePRO public programs. She establishes long-term and short-term action plans for business development and strategic planning. With more than 20 years in the health care field, she also has a successful record of coordinating and building new hospital facilities, establishing health system networks, recruiting physicians, and working in close collaboration with government and health system agencies. Prior to working with KePRO, Ms. Smith has experience in many levels of the Ohio healthcare system from clinical staff nurse, to unit director, to vice president at Aultman Health Foundation in Canton, Ohio.
Ronald Savrin, MD, MBA, FACS – Medical Director
Dr. Savrin ensures medical integrity of interventions, leading quality improvement initiatives, and lecturing to medical organizations in Ohio. He has more than 30 years experience in healthcare as a surgeon, director of vascular surgery, and medical director. He currently serves as a committee leader in the MidWest CKD Coalition and on the Board of Directors for the Northeast Ohio Regional Health Information Organization (NEO RHIO).
Rita Bowling, RN, BSN, MBA, CPHQ – Project Director
Ms. Bowling has performed in several key management capacities within the organization since 1999. Ms. Bowling has been instrumental in launching several successful topic-specific statewide coalitions, and continues to work closely with key stakeholders within the state of Ohio. She offers more than 30 years of experience in acute care, with expertise in clinical matters, quality improvement, project management, and physician relations. She has also served as chairman of the Health Care Quality Improvement Program (HCQIP) National Network through the American Healthcare Quality Association (AHQA) and successfully reorganized this group to more effectively meet the needs of multiple provider type teams within the HCQIP program.
Jennifer Bitterman, MBA, RHIA – Review Director
Ms. Bitterman has managed the Ohio case review program, promoted the Hospital Payment Monitoring Program, and encouraged Ohio providers to employ quality improvement methodologies since 1999. She is currently responsible for all beneficiary protection requirements under the current QIO contract and she co-chairs the CMS QIO Case Review Workgroup. Ms. Bitterman has also worked for a third party administrator and in medical records departments in the inpatient hospital setting.
Bonnie Hollopeter, LPN, CPHQ, CPHIT – Project Manager
Ms. Hollopeter manages the physician office electronic health records project and the drug safety project under the CMS QIO contract in Ohio. She is experienced with helping Ohio practices implement electronic health records, promoting preventive services covered by Medicare, and encouraging safe and appropriate use of medication in the elderly population. She also has experience working in an Ohio family practice as a nurse/office manager, teaching outcomes-based quality improvement methodology, and abstracting data for hospitals, physician offices and managed care organizations. She holds certification in healthcare quality, electronic health records, health information technology, and research education.
Susan M. Garlando – Marketing and Communications Supervisor
Ms. Garlando is responsible for the development of the organization’s strategic marketing and communications programs throughout the state of Ohio, as well as for the direction of the media relations, consumer outreach and legislative relations. Ms. Garlando successfully led a special CMS study focused on increasing beneficiary awareness of available Medicare services. She has also been active in establishing and managing health and wellness programs, services and product lines across various healthcare settings for more than 20 years.
Donna Ugan, RN - IQC & Compliance Specialist
Ms. Ugan is responsible for monitoring contract deliverables, evaluating performance and identifying trends under the CMS QIO contract in Ohio. She has more than fifteen years experience managing utilization review and case management departments for self funded health plans, as well as four years previous experience as Review Supervisor and Project Leader at Ohio KePRO. She was also the Director of the NCAA Catastrophic Injury Insurance Program, managing Catastrophic Injuries to College Athletes. She brings more than 30 years of healthcare experience to the organization. She has also written two articles on case management and contributed clinical expertise to the book, "Baby and Me."
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