Leadership

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Chief Executive Officer

Richard  Unger, M.D., is an anesthesiologist with over three decades of experience. He currently serves as a Staff Anesthesiologist and partner with Anesthesia Service Medical Group, Inc. in San Diego. Dr. Unger completed his undergraduate studies in Genetics at the University of California, Berkeley, and earned his medical degree from the Medical College of Virginia. He then completed residencies in Internal Medicine and Anesthesiology at the University of California, San Francisco, and the University of California, San Diego, respectively. From 1986 to 1988, Dr. Unger served as Co-Director of the Surgical ICU at UCSD Medical Center.

At Scripps Memorial Hospital, La Jolla, Dr. Unger has held several key positions, including Chief of Staff, where he played a crucial role in the successful implementation of the EPIC electronic medical record system, leading the Implementation Team. He holds board certifications in Internal Medicine and Anesthesiology. His dedication to the field extends beyond clinical practice, as he has been actively involved in leadership roles, medical education, and community outreach. Dr. Unger has been recognized and holds several honors, including membership in the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society and being named among San Diego's Best Doctors. Beyond his professional endeavors, Dr. Unger enjoys golfing, cooking, participating in duplicate bridge tournaments, and spending quality time with his family, especially his five granddaughters.

President

Steve Kenney is an accomplished executive with extensive experience in the healthcare and life sciences sectors. Most recently, he served as CEO of National Cardiac, where he demonstrated strong leadership in driving the company's growth. Steve has also held significant positions, including Principal at Clinical Trials Innovation, Premier, Inc.; CEO of eStudySite; and Founder/CEO of Novo Research, where he successfully developed networks of dedicated clinical research centers.

A proven leader in early-stage growth and turnaround situations, Steve excels in assessing technologies and implementing innovative, disruptive strategies in the healthcare industry. He has deep expertise in forming strategic corporate partnerships and licensing agreements for technology platform development and distribution.

Steve is a highly regarded charismatic leader known for building successful businesses and high-performing teams, launching three successful businesses and raising significant equity investments. Notably, Steve turned around eStudySite, increasing annual revenue from $250,000 to over $17 million in less than four years.

As Principal of Clinical Trials Innovation, Steve provided strategic and tactical direction for the new business unit, enhancing operational synergy with member hospital research sites. He implemented centralized services, including single budgets, contracts, central IRB, and centralized regulatory documentation collection, significantly increasing revenue for member hospital research sites. With deep operational knowledge in the clinical trials process at the research site level, Steve continues to make impactful contributions to the healthcare sector.

Dr. Francesca Betti is a board-certified cardiothoracic anesthesiologist at Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla. She graduated with distinction from Stanford University in 2010 with a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences and earned her Doctor of Medicine from Washington University in 2014. Dr. Betti returned to Stanford for her internship in Internal Medicine in 2015 and completed her residency in Anesthesiology in 2018.

Further specializing in her field, Dr. Betti completed a fellowship in Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology at Cedars-Sinai in 2019, where she also served as a member of the teaching faculty. She holds additional board certification in Advanced Transesophageal Echocardiography. Dr. Betti’s professional interests focus on enhancing clinical care delivery. At Stanford, she researched novel temperature measurement systems, participated in the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, and contributed to the implementation of the Epic electronic medical record system at Stanford’s satellite hospitals. At Cedars-Sinai, she was actively involved in the Lung Transplantation Quality Improvement Committee and led several teaching initiatives for residents and fellows. Dr. Betti is committed to advancing patient care throughout her career.

Dr. Parker received his Bachelor’s of Science degree from the University of California Riverside in 1984 and his Medical Degree from the University of California San Diego in 1989.  After completing his Internship at Harbor UCLA medical center he returned to UCSD to continue training in Anesthesiogy. In addition to serving on a variety of directorships, committees and hospital administrative teams, Dr. Parker also is editor for the Official Patient’s Sourcebook series.

A chemical engineer by training, Dr. Preetham Suresh is a practicing anesthesiologist with a clinical focus on ultrasound guided peripheral nerve blocks. He started his professional career in private practice before joining the faculty at UC San Diego, where he has developed a niche at the intersection of technology and medicine through his role as Associate Dean of Simulation Education and Vice Chair of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Through his engineering background, Dr. Suresh has collaborated on innovative medical device and pharmaceutical development projects as well as organized educational programs that promote innovation in healthcare.

Shiyin Stephen Zhu, MD is a board-certified anesthesiologist at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla where he serves as the Equipment and Clinical Trial Liaison, as well as a member of the Quality Improvement and Compliance committee. He completed medical school at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and residency at Weill Cornell Medical Center / NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.  He is the recipient of the Sadel Wortis Klein Award for Excellence in Clinical Performance, certified in FATE (Focus Assessment Transthoracic Echocardiogram) and has an interest in global health, having participated in multiple internships and exchanges around the world.