Leading healthcare consultancy and marketing agency expands to meet growing demand for its services
Baltimore, MD – April 1, 2021 – Sage Growth Partners (SGP), a Baltimore-based healthcare research, strategy, and marketing firm, today announced 10 new hires and two promotions in support of its growth trajectory. With significant increasing demand for SGP’s services in late 2020 and 2021, these new staff bolster the firm’s bandwidth, capabilities, and expertise while readying the company for continued expansion.
“We’re very thankful to be specialized in the healthcare industry, a sector that is essential, and that has experienced growth during the pandemic due to the need for safer, more efficient, and equitable care,” said David Sheehy, a partner at the firm and its COO. “We have worked very hard to help our clients navigate the pandemic successfully, forging new relationships and identifying innovative ways to help long-tenured clients. It’s very exciting to add new team members and recognize the exceptional work of others through these promotions.”
The promotions and new positions reflect growth across the research and strategy practice as well as the marketing practice. They also represent SGP’s expanding geographic breadth and depth of expertise, as the new hires are based throughout the country and come from leading healthcare organizations such as Livongo, New York City Health + Hospitals, UPMC, Healthgrades, Spectrum Health, CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Mount Sinai Health System.
RESEARCH AND STRATEGY PROMOTION:
Jeanne Ross — Engagement Manager
Jeanne joined SGP in 2016 as a senior consultant. Her years of experience in healthcare and healthcare IT at IDX Systems Corporation provide her with a unique perspective to analyze and advance client initiatives. Jeanne applies her expertise to drive extremely successful research and strategy engagements.
RESEARCH AND STRATEGY HIRES:
Sawkia Patterson, MBA – Engagement Manager
Previously a senior project manager at New York City Health + Hospitals, Sawkia brings over a decade of healthcare project management and implementation experience to SGP.
Pranav Sharma, MBA — Engagement Manager
With six years of experience shaping innovation strategies at UPMC, combined with strong strategic consulting expertise, Pranav brings new perspectives and insights in the development of go-to-market strategies.
Josh Barracks, MBA, MPH – Senior Consultant
With his MBA/MPH from Johns Hopkins University and his background in athletic training, Josh brings valuable perspective in linking business aspects to clinical care and technology.
Amy Reisdorf, MBA — Senior Consultant
With seven years of experience in consulting, healthcare clinic management, and research administration, as well as an MBA from The University of Minnesota — Carlson School of Business, Amy delivers unique insights into how the business and clinical aspects of healthcare interact.
Natasha Newson, MBA – Consultant
With more than 12 years’ experience working on both the healthcare provider and payer sides, most recently at CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield, Natasha brings a wealth of experience in healthcare administration, payer-provider relationships, and project management.
“I am thrilled that we are continuing to build a great team, said Stephanie Kovalick, a firm partner who leads SGP’s research and strategy practice. “The level of market knowledge, strategic thinking, and professionalism we have among the collective team, coupled with our thirst for knowledge and passion for innovation in healthcare, positions us well to reconcile complex market dynamics and support our clients’ growth initiatives.”
MARKETING PROMOTION:
Aubrey Westgate – Senior Account Group Director
Aubrey joined SGP in 2018 as a Director, Strategic Accounts, after several years serving as an editor and editorial director of several healthcare publications including Physician Practice Journal, Managed Healthcare Executive, and Drug Topics. In her new role, Aubrey directs campaign and content development for a portfolio of SGP clients.
MARKETING HIRES:
Emily Cohen – Senior Account Group Director
Previously an integrated marketing manager at Healthgrades, Emily brings exceptional writing skills and almost a decade of experience leading marketing strategy, branding, and campaign development and execution to her role at SGP.
John Gonda — Senior Director, Public and Media Relations
With more than 20 years of PR experience in health systems and medical groups such as Spectrum Health and Wuesthoff Health, John brings a proven ability to advance healthcare brands through story development and media relations.
Ashley Boyd — Director, Strategic Accounts
An accomplished B2B healthcare marketer with experience advancing marketing programs for a wide range of organizations from startups to Livongo and Becton Dickinson, Ashley leverages marketing fundamentals, keen strategic insights, and creative skills as an account lead.
Renu Nadkarni, MPH – Account Manager
After earning her Master of Public Health degree from Yale, Renu managed healthcare communications and marketing at Mount Sinai Health System and Verana Health. She brings deep healthcare knowledge and marketing experience to her role at SGP.
“Each day we are challenged to help our clients grow in crowded, competitive, and over-communicated markets,” said Boh Hatter, a firm partner and its Chief Marketing Officer. “Our clients’ successes are the byproduct of our skills and teamwork. In Aubrey, Emily, John, Ashley, and Renu, we have found uncommonly talented, hard-working, and genuinely kind people.”
SGP ALSO ADDED A NEW TEAM MEMBER TO SUPPORT GROWTH IN ITS BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES:
Gracie Francis — Business Development Analyst
A graduate of the University of Tennessee with a degree in Communications, Gracie joins SGP’s business development team to provide research and strategic account acquisition activities.
“I often say that as a consultancy, we are our people,” said Dan D’Orazio, a firm partner and its CEO. “ As you look at our new team members, there’s a striking breadth of experience across the full range of health IT, provider, and payer worlds. Our team is both deep and broad in its healthcare perspectives. I am thrilled that we’ve matched our exciting commercial growth with this exceptional team growth. I look forward to serving our clients with amazing work that helps advance their interests and the healthcare industry as a whole.”
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About Sage Growth Partners
Sage Growth Partners accelerates commercial success for B2B, B2B2C, and B2C healthcare organizations through a singular focus on growth. The company helps its clients thrive amid the complexities of a rapidly changing marketplace with deep domain expertise and an integrated application of research, strategy, and marketing.
Founded in 2005, Sage Growth Partners is located in Baltimore, MD, and serves clients such as Philips Healthcare, U.S. Renal Care, Quest Diagnostics, Vocera, Livongo, Olive, iN2L, and Aperture.
