Another in a series of roundtables I helped organize with the brilliant and quirky Dr. S. Vincent Grasso.

1. James Tuchi
Managing Director: Pharmacy Industry Consulting Services
Cohn Consulting Group, J.H. Cohn, LLP
STEVENS
“The cost and complexity of delivering health care continues to rise. As the population ages, the
combination of diseases such as COPD along with diabetes and or hypertension places an additional
burden upon the delivery system. The hardest hit are the home bound patients. Wireless telemonitoring
systems coupled with home care organizations are starting to prove their value.”
Mr. Tuchi’s experience exceeds 20 years within the Pharmaceutical, Life Science
Industries, and AT&T Health Management Services as a consultant and Managing
Partner. Jim has done leading work in the development of business models for
Institute of Technology
applying telecommunications and medical technologies in sustainable business
enterprises. He is a member of the Federal Working Committee on Privacy and
Security of Medical data. As the founder of Global Health Sciences, LLC he has been
deploying advanced medical monitoring systems in many countries and in the U.S.
for clients in both the public and private sectors. Most recently he completed the
implementation of a wireless telemonitoring system under a grant from the State of
Florida to demonstrate the application of new technologies in senior communities.
Victor L. Marchione, M.D., F.C.C.P.
Internal & Pulmonary Medicine Stevens Roundtable:
“Lung cancer is the leading cancer killer in the United States and it is estimated that 90 percent
of cases are caused by smoking. COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in America and Health, Technology & Society
smoking is the primary risk factor. The management of these chronic and deadly diseases
requires a coordinated effort among all members of the healthcare delivery team. An integrated
October 31, 2007
Strategies to enhance the
messaging system would enhance our efforts to possibly prevent, diagnose early, and deliver
coordinated and timely treatment protocols.”
Victor Louis Marchione, M.D., F.C.C.P. is a native of Hoboken, NJ, with 25 years of
service to the New York – Metropolitan area as a Board Certified Pulmonologist. He is
a former medical director of a large multi-specialty medical group with research
interests in tobacco cessation and early detection of lung carcinoma. As the founder
management of the non hospital-
and Medical Director of the “I Quit Smoking Program” at Palisades Medical Center in
North Bergen, NJ, Dr. Marchione invites all smokers to join smoking cessation efforts. based asthmatic and COPD patient.
Jonathan Banno
Respiratory Sales Specialist "There are over 110 million visits to hospital emergency rooms per year where approximately 25%
Sepracor, Inc. are due to asthma, COPD, and other respiratory disorders. The economic impact of asthma and
“Chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and COPD are on the rise. Successful treatment of COPD alone exceed $50 billion per year. The deployment of a mobile telerespiratory management
these conditions requires both patient monitoring and patient education. In certain areas, such as and consulting network would not only unburden busy emergency rooms but enhance the delivery
inner city communities, this task can be difficult, as patients often have limited options for routine of care, especially to the chronically ill, while decreasing costs.”
treatment. They are instead often dependant on emergency room care to treat disease — S. Vincent Grasso, D.O.
exacerbations. However, the use of in home testing for patients in these communities could help
patients follow treatment plans more closely, thereby improving patient outcomes.”
Jonathan is currently a Respiratory Sales Specialist with Sepracor, Inc., a "The ability to provide home healthcare incorporating portable and robust medical devices, the
pharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of respiratory and central nervous information system platform, as well as an online specialist network insures that the aging
system disorders. Prior to Sepracor, Jonathan worked at Altana Pharma, Savage
Laboratories and Roche Diagnostics. He received his B.S. from the University of population in this country can receive the necessary examinations in the home that will minimize
Scranton and his M.S. in Physiology from the University of Connecticut. the inconvenience of having to go to offices, clinics, or hospital emergency rooms. There will be
true economic benefit to the providers and comfort to the recipients.”
Padmini Persaud, C.M.A. — J. Anthony Forstmann
Project Coordinator
I Quit Smoking Program at Palisades Medical Center
“Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) refers to chronic lung disorders that result in
"Respiratory ailments are on the rise, especially in urban America. The task now is to approach
blocked air flow in the lungs. The two main COPD disorders are emphysema and chronic this problem intelligently, using the technology at our command to permit patients to perform
bronchitis. Smoking causes approximately 80 to 90 percent of COPD. We encourage all routine, in-home self-testing, coupled with automated transmission of data for assessment by
smokers to ask their doctor for information concerning smoking cessation efforts, it is never too qualified physicians. This is the future of healthcare, transcending politics and persuasion."
late to stop smoking.” — Patrick A. Berzinski
Paddy has 25 years of experience working with the delivery of healthcare clinically
and administratively. She has spent the last 20 years working with Dr. Victor
Marchione within his respiratory medicine practice including home care and house call Roundtable Coordinator: S. Vincent Grasso, D.O.
visits to patients with end stage COPD. During the past 10 years, she has participated Roundtable Moderator: Patrick A. Berzinski
as a project coordinator within Dr. Marchione’s smoking cessation efforts.

2. J. Anthony Forstmann – Featured Panelist S. Vincent Grasso, D.O.
Special Limited Partner Surgeon & Family Physician, North Bergen, NJ
Forstmann Little & Co. Medical Informaticist & Business Analyst, TIMA
Adjunct Professor, Stevens Institute of Technology
New York, New York “Multiple studies have shown that home care programs are effective in the long-term treatment of chronically
"The ability to provide home healthcare incorporating portable and robust medical devices, hypercapnic COPD patients in reducing hospital admissions.”
the information system platform, as well as an online specialist network insures that the Grasso is a Mount Sinai School of Medicine Manhattan Program, Yale University trained
surgeon. While at Yale, he joined the NASA Yale Commercial Space Center for Medical
aging population in this country can receive the necessary examinations in the home that will Informatics and Technology Applications, CSCMITA, as a NASA Project Manager to
minimize the inconvenience of having to go to offices, clinics, or hospital emergency rooms. perform research within the discipline of Medical Informatics. At CSCMITA, created the
concept of Extreme Telemedicine and led a medical research expedition to Mount Everest.
There will be true economic benefit to the providers and comfort to the recipients.” His R&D at Stevens involves the intersection between the clinical, technical, and financial
Mr. Forstmann has been a Managing Partner of Forstmann & Co since aspects of healthcare delivery. He has performed and taught surgery internationally via
1987. He co-founded Forstmann-Leff Associates in 1968, which was his not for profit company AYUDAMOS since 1991. Grasso is a physician in private
practice in Hudson County, NJ, and is the CEO of Technology Integrations for Medical
one of the leading institutional money management firms, as well as Applications Inc., TIMA.
one of the original hedge funds in the US. Forstmann-Leff’s clients
included Intel, Pfizer, Standard Oil of Indiana, The Pension Guarantee
Patrick A. Berzinski
Corp, The Ford Family, Northrop, Honeywell, Lockheed, Northwest Director of University Communications
Airlines, Knight Ridder, Delta Airlines, Texas Instruments, Raychem, Stevens Institute of Technology
Studebaker, Chrysler, Commercial Credit, MCA Universal, the City of "Respiratory ailments are on the rise, especially in urban America. The task now is to approach
New York, the State of Minnesota, the State of Maine, Holy Cross this problem intelligently, using the technology at our command to permit patients to perform routine,
University, and the Archdiocese of New York, amongst others. In in-home self-testing, coupled with automated transmission of data for assessment by qualified physicians.
October 1986, Forstmann-Leff Associates was sold to Guiness Peat This is the future of healthcare, transcending politics and persuasion."
Group plc, a British investment bank. Mr Forstmann continued as a Patrick A. Berzinski has worked in a variety of media during a career spanning more
than 20 years. His principal medium is the written word, and his literary and expository
managing director of Forstmann-Leff until 1991. writing have been the vehicles that have led him to work in radio, video, web, public and
media relations, and networking for business development. Since 2000, his work has
He was an original investor in Forstmann Little & Co. and has remained been primarily in institutional communications for Stevens Institute of Technology where
a Special Limited Partner of this prominent Wall Street leveraged he currently serves as director of university communications.
buyout firm. To date, the firm has made 31 acquisitions and significant Hyun Ouk Hong
investments and returned more than $15 billion of profits to their Consultant: Adverse Drug Reporting Division
investors. In addition to IMG, some of their best-known investments Sanofi-Aventis Pharmaceuticals
include Gulfstream Aerospace, Dr. Pepper, The Topps Co., Community
Health Systems, Ziff Davis, Yankee Candle, General Instrument
Bridgewater, NJ
"The use of telemedicine will significantly alleviate the congested emergency rooms at hospitals; since
Corporation, Citadel Broadcasting and 24 Hour Fitness. Prior to
the ER offers the uninsured and the underserved only an opportunity to be cared for by a physician
founding Forstmann-Leff Associates, he held various positions within
quickly, it is not an optimal setting to receive adequate treatments for more chronic, progressive
the investment banking firms of G H Walker & Co, Wertheim and Smith
illnesses such as COPD. It is time then, to strive to optimize patient care for the underserved
Barney & Co. Mr. Forstmann has also been involved in a number of
communities by utilizing technology that can tremendously improve health care delivery.”
philanthropic organizations. He received a degree in Economics from
Hyun Ouk Hong received his B.S. degree in Chemical Biology from Stevens in 2007.
Yale University and an M.B.A. Degree from the Graduate School of He was selected as a student researcher in the Technogenesis Scholars Program
Business Administration, Columbia University. (2004), where he studied the relationships between microbial activity and
physiochemical conditions of permafrost from Alaska. Hong was accepted to the
Travelers Summer Research Fellowship Program (2006) at Weill Cornell Medical
FOUNDER:
College, where he studied the efficacy of curcumin as a potential chemopreventative
Forstmann-Leff Assoc., Forstmann & Co., Instinet (First Equity agent for breast cancer. At present, he is a consultant at Sanofi-Aventis implementing
Electronic Trading Platform) NASDAQ, ImClone Systems a novel Adverse Event Reporting System. He will be attending medical school next fall.
(Biotherapeutics Monoclonal Antibody Research For Cancer) NASDAQ, Fatimah Aquino, B.S.N., R.N.C.
Axiom (Expert System For Laboratories) NASDAQ, ITI (First Operator
Director of Nursing: Margaret Anna Cusack Care Center
Toll Center that partnered with MCI) NASDAQ, Spear Securities (First
Online Retail Equity Brokerage Firm) NASDAQ, Hunter Environmental Jersey City, NJ
Services (Toxic Waste Storage in Salt Domes) NASDAQ, NRI – Cogent “The care of the COPD and asthmatic patient is complex and requires a team effort. It is especially
(Leading Provider of AFIS Products) NASDAQ, RhumbLine Forstmann difficult within the nursing home and home care setting as there is a lack of available respiratory consultants
(Minority Owned Structured Manager) Private, TracStar Solutions (RFID within the 24/7 timeframe. The ability to deploy a compact, mobile, and easy to use information system
Solutions) Private, Advonce (E-Commerce Platform) Private platform enabling realtime bedside telerespiratory monitoring and consulting is a welcome addition to our
overall health care delivery activities.”
Fatimah’s experience in delivering healthcare extends from the Philippines, where she
DIRECTOR: undertook her university and nursing training, to the Riyadh Military Hospital (RMH).
Pullman Companies (Major Industrial Conglomerate) NYSE, Home The RMH is the flagship of the RMH Program, located in Riyadh City, the capital of
Shopping Network (First Cable TV Shopping Network) NYSE, Saudi Arabia. Currently, Fatimah’s responsibilities overlaps nursing management along
Community Health Services (Largest Rural Hospital Network) NYSE, with clinical care. In addition to her responsibilities at the Cusack Care Center, she
also functions within the management layer at Greenville Hospital, a Jersey City, NJ,
ABC Citadel Broadcasting (Major Radio Broadcaster) NYSE, Technology community hospital within the LibertyHealth System. Her clinical interests include the
Integrations for Medical Applications TIMA (Healthcare IT) Private. care of the geriatric patient and how information technology can extend the umbrella
of care to patients within the home and long term skilled nursing facility.