The Breakaway Group is a team of highly skilled professionals whose experience in healthcare and learning design delivers exceptional value to our clients. They are led by the following individuals:
CHARLES FRED, Chief Executive Officer
Charles Fred is the founder and CEO of The Breakaway Group. He brings a proven track record of leading significant growth in both service and enterprise software companies and has led The Breakaway Group from its initial startup to a leading position in healthcare IT adoption services.
Before founding The Breakaway Group, Charles led Omega Performance as their CEO, culminating in a successful sale to IIR, Inc in 1998. Mr. Fred later joined Avaltus as CEO in 1999 and led its remarkable growth until a merger with Precision Response Corporation a division of IAC (NASDAQ: IACI) in 2001. Previously, Mr. Fred spent over 12 years in the aerospace industry at Texas Instruments and at The Boeing Company. While at Boeing, he had leadership assignments in both design and manufacturing, the latter as the General Supervisor of the Engine Ducting Facility. He joined USWEST as an executive in 1993 to bring aerospace quality to their Network Operations Group.
The publication of his best-selling book Breakaway in 2002 initiated a "movement" from the thousands that have read it. Today, many leading universities use the text in their curricula to reinforce innovative methods for instructional technology and simulation. The eight-year research effort that ended in the publication of the book provides the foundation for The Breakaway Method™ used in service to healthcare organizations worldwide.
Fred continues as one of the healthcare and corporate education industry's most renowned keynote speakers, and has been featured at the Smithsonian Institute and the International E Learning Expo in Paris. He obtained a bachelors of Science degree in mechanical engineering and technology from Montana State University, and completed the Aerospace Industry Manufacturing Program from the University of Washington's Graduate School of Business.
HONORA ROBERTS, Senior VP / Chief Operating Officer
Honora Roberts brings more than 20 years of experience in business, project and performance management with small, mid-sized and Fortune 500 companies to The Breakaway Group. Throughout her career, Roberts has worked with numerous companies in the healthcare industry, including Amerisource Bergen, Abbott Laboratories, Great West Life Insurance, and Scimed. Beyond the healthcare industry, she has worked with top-tier companies such as General Mills, Bank of America and FedEx.
Prior to joining The Breakaway Group, Roberts founded and successfully led a consulting firm for more than ten years that specialized in strategic learning solutions. The firm created innovative learning processes and experiences to increase adoption, proficiency and quality among newly hired employees. Her professional experience also includes learning and instructional design positions with Xerox Learning Systems and Coldwell Banker Commercial Real Estate Services. She obtained a bachelor's degree from Scripps College in Claremont, California.
ROBERT BULOW, Senior VP / Chief Financial Officer
As senior vice president and CFO, Robert Bulow creates and executes the long-term financial strategies that position The Breakaway Group among the healthcare industry's elite. Before joining the company, Bulow was CFO for Breakthrough Management Group (BMG), an international consulting firm in the Six Sigma education market. He held senior-level positions with USG Corporation, and gained experience as a self-employed Certified Public Accountant and a small business consultant early in his career.
Bulow has conducted seminars to provide financial analytics to managers outside the financial arena, and during his time with BMG, received Six Sigma certification as a master black belt. He received his master's degree in business administration (MBA) from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, and holds a bachelor's degree in accountancy from Northern Illinois University.
RICH PARKER, VP, General Manager RIS/PACS & Revenue Cycle
Rich Parker brings more than 25 years of experience in healthcare information technology to The Breakaway Group. Parker's experience with IDX Systems Corporation, a leading healthcare information systems vendor acquired by GE Healthcare in 2006, includes numerous director-level positions in the areas of client service, business development, e-commerce implementation and development, and national account management.
Most recently with IDX, Parker was responsible for developing a national account management program and directing a national dedicated client services program He obtained a bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Vermont.
HEATHER HAUGEN, Ph.D, RD, Corporate VP, Research
Dr. Heather Haugen has more than 15 years of research experience in both the academic and private sectors. Haugen earned her doctorate in health information technology from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. Her areas of expertise include designing and coordinating research studies, communicating research results in both academic and industry publications and presentations, and education and training for healthcare providers.
Haugen’s research experience spans strategies to increase EMR adoption, barriers to physician adoption of new technology, effective RIS/PACS education, and the development of telehealth programs for disease prevention and chronic disease management. She has published in numerous health and medical journals, including the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Journal of the American College of Nutrition, ADVANCE for Health Information Executives and Healthcare Informatics.
Haugen holds a faculty position at the University of Colorado as the Co-Director of Health Information Technology, where she actively conducts research, mentors students and teaches courses.
Currently, Dr. Haugen is the Corporate Vice President of Research for a healthcare IT consulting firm, The Breakaway Group, where she conducts research with their healthcare clients. Prior to her current position, she was the Director of Clinical Affairs for a medical device company. Her positions have led to a unique mix of experiences, including designing and coordinating research studies, working cooperatively to conduct research with academic institutions and clinical partners, and helping healthcare providers adopt new technology faster.
Dr. Haugen co-authored a book with Dr. Jeffrey Woodside Beyond Implementation: A Prescription for Lasting EMR Adoption, which was published in May 2010.
NANETTE KOCH, VP, General Manager, Physician Practices
Nanette Koch has over thirty years of experience in healthcare management, specifically in clinic, ambulatory surgery, and hospital environments. Her proven experience includes strategic planning, healthcare business operations, workflow analysis, end-user adoption and system implementations for hospitals, ambulatory clinics, physician groups and diagnostic facilities.
Ms. Koch has managed an ambulatory surgery center with multiple physician clinics and also developed and managed several radiology facilities. Nanette utilized her skills and entrepreneurial background to open her own diagnostic imaging center. She has immense experience in healthcare marketing, growth, and development and has provided consulting services to healthcare providers nationwide.
Nanette has led successful implementations at over 100 sites using GE Imagecast and Flowcast. In addition, she has led numerous electronic medical record and enterprise practice management implementations across the country including Allscripts, GE Enterprise, Meditech, NextGen, GE Business, HCS Interactant, and Cerner. Nanette has managed project implementations at large healthcare organizations including Stanford University Hospitals and Medical Clinics, Healthsouth, UT Medical Group, Hope Network, New York Presbyterian Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, Valley Baptist Health Systems, Baylor Health Systems, Multi-Care, Hope Network, Baptist Health System, Benefis Health System, Central Washington Hospital, USC Care Medical Group, and many other healthcare organizations.
Ms. Koch serves as the VP and General Manager, Clinical Solutions Group, for The Breakaway Group. She is committed to writing and publishing based on her experiences. Her recent publications focus on the importance of discovery, assessment and the elements of successful pre go-live preparations and EMR planning and adoption.
KARIS SHEARER, CPHIMS, VP, General Manager, Hospital and Health Systems
Karis Shearer is a specialist in organization change management and HIT training strategies with over 20 years of experience in educational consulting. Shearer has been instrumental in helping large healthcare organizations implement new EMRs for nearly 10 years. Some of her clients include Kaiser Permanente - National, Colorado and Northwest regions, Exempla Healthcare, KU Medical Center, Children’s Memorial Hospital, Hennepin County Medical Center, UC Davis Medical Center, and The Children’s Hospital.
Shearer is an innovator of learning approaches who started her career designing large, complex leadership simulations for Fortune 1000 companies. She has managed and designed experiential learning programs for corporations in a wide variety of industries including pharmaceuticals, electronics, printing, manufacturing, insurance, and call centers. Shearer has presented multiple times at the Epic Training Advisory Council, and the Epic User Group Meeting. She is consistently recognized, interviewed, and quoted as an expert on HIT training programs.
As the Vice President and General Manager of Hospitals and Health Systems, she is committed to changing the way healthcare organizations adopt technology and educate their clinicians and staff. She has been active on the Colorado HIMSS Board of Directors for several years and continually supports their efforts to make a difference in healthcare. Shearer holds a Master’s degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Western Michigan University.
JIM REITSEMA, VP, General Manager, ERP & Supply Chain
Jim Reitsema is recognized as an expert in guiding organizations toward achieving successful outcomes from their IT implementation projects. He has over thirty years of experience in information system planning, design, development and implementation. He has provided strategic IT planning services to Fortune 500 companies such as Quest Communications, Lockheed Martin, Rheem and Grumman. He also has extensive experience leading the planning, design and development of software applications in the healthcare industry, including work at Premier Inc., Velocity, ArborMed and ALN Medical Management.
Prior to joining Breakaway, Reitsema was a senior manager with Accenture where he led information system planning and business process improvement initiatives for Accenture’s manufacturing and distribution clients. He then founded RiteLine Systems, Inc. high-growth IT consulting business which he led for six years before selling the business to Velocity.com. As Velocity’s Vice President of Implementation Services, Reitsema was responsible to the design and implementation of clinical software applications including Electronic Medical Records, outcomes reporting and recruiting for clinical trials.
JEFFREY R. WOODSIDE, M.D., Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Jeffrey R. Woodside is the former executive vice president and chief medical officer for University of Tennessee Medical Group. He received his undergraduate degree from Oregon State University and earned his medical degree from the University of Oregon Medical School, where he later interned. Following a stint as a flight surgeon in the U.S. Navy, he completed residencies in general surgery and urology at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. He also received an M.B.A. from the University of Phoenix.
His career spans more than 25 years and includes faculty appointments at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine in Albuquerque and the University of Texas Medical School in Houston, where he also served as vice president of The Hermann Hospital. In 1992, Woodside was named UT Medical Group's medical director, a position he held until 1995. He was also appointed medical director of UT Bowld Hospital and professor of urology at the UT Health Science Center. In 1993, he was named executive director of the UT Medical Center. He was appointed executive vice President and chief medical officer for UTMG and associate dean for clinical affairs at the college of medicine in 1999
Woodside is active in many medical organizations and served as a reviewer for various urology journals. He also served on the editorial board for the journal, Editorial Board, Neurourology and Urodynamics.
Dr. Woodside co-authored a book with Dr. Heather Haugen Beyond Implementation: A Prescription for Lasting EMR Adoption, which was published in May 2010.
