Leadership

Leadership Team

The legacy and collaboration of our leadership sets us apart. This team has dedicated their careers to creating the best organization where providers can thrive.

Mark Gilreath
Chief Executive Officer

Mark Gilreath brings more than 27 years of operational leadership, innovation, and GI experience to United Digestive’s executive team. As former operating partner for Frazier Healthcare Partners, he facilitated the formation of United Digestive in 2018.

In 2008, Mark founded EndoChoice Inc. (NYSE: GI) and served as its CEO from the company’s inception until the company was acquired by Boston Scientific in 2016. EndoChoice focuses on the R&D and commercialization of a diverse portfolio of medical technologies and services for physicians in gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy. The Company was recognized six consecutive years by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing companies in America. Mark led the company from his basement in 2008 to an IPO on the New York Stock Exchange, with more than 500 employees.

Before founding EndoChoice, Mark served on the executive committee at Given Imaging (NASDAQ: GIVN) as President of The Americas and Chief Marketing Officer. During his eight years at Given Imaging, the company launched the PillCam Video Capsule and was transformed from a pre-revenue startup to a NASDAQ company approaching $200 million in revenue. The Company was acquired by Covidien (now Medtronic).

Prior to joining Given Imaging, Mark served in a variety of leadership roles at PENTAX Medical during 7 years of rapid growth. He began his career serving in the U.S. military in Naval Intelligence during Operation Desert Storm.

Mark has served on the boards of several public and private companies, and non-profit organizations. In 2013, he was selected as Business Person of the Year in Metro Atlanta, and he is an active member of YPO’s Southern 7 Chapter. Mark holds a B.Sc. in finance from Winthrop University and an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University.

John Suh, MD, MPH
Chief Medical Officer

Prior to serving as chief medical officer at United Digestive, Dr. John Suh held various leadership roles within the organization and affiliated practice, Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates. He served as a member of United Digestive’s inaugural physician executive committee, on the orgnaization’s endoscopy governing body, and continues to serve as medical director for the organization’s Advanced Center for GI Therapeutics. In addition, he is a board member of the Digestive Health Provider Association, an organization comprised of independent GI practices from across the nation.

After completing his undergraduate degree at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Dr. Suh received a master’s degree in health policy and management at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health in Atlanta. During graduate school, he served as a research assistant at the Centers for Disease Control in special pathogens. He then worked as an intern for the Institute for Diversity in Health Management and as a consultant for Healthcare Microsystems.

Dr. Suh completed his medical degree at the University of Alabama School of Medicine in Birmingham and his residency at the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor. Following a fellowship in gastroenterology at the University of Southern California Medical Center in Los Angeles, he then completed a fellowship in advanced endoscopy at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.

Dr. Suh is a member of the American Gastroenterological Association and the American College of Gastroenterology, and has contributed chapters to two gastroenterology textbooks. For the fifth consecutive year, he was named to Atlanta Magazine‘s ‘Top Doctors’ guide in gastroenterology – a list of top physicians in the metro area.

Rita Odisho
Chief Financial Officer

Rita Odisho brings more than 25 years of healthcare, M&A, and practice management experience – both publicly-held and private equity-owned – to United Digestive’s executive team. As a financial and operational leader, Rita has extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, revenue cycle management, practice integration, and running multi-state operations serving hundreds of clinicians. In addition, she is Lean Six Sigma certified with proven experience in building high-performing teams.

Most recently, Rita served as the chief administration officer and vice president of operations for West Dermatology. Prior to this, she served in several executive and senior leadership roles, including chief financial officer, vice president of revenue cycle management, and vice president of finance. She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and business law from Northeastern University.

Edward L. Hay, Jr., MHA, FACHE
Chief Operations Officer

Edward brings more than 32 years of operations and physician practice management experience to United Digestive, including expertise in strategic planning, governance, recruiting and retention, referral management, and revenue cycle infrastructure.

Previously, Edward worked for Optum/The Advisory Board Company/Southwind for 12 years where he served in various key executive roles and provided group practice assessment and strategic planning to health systems and medical group enterprises. Most recently, he served as Senior Vice President of Operations for ProHEALTH New York, a 1,000-clinician medical group. He oversaw all practice operations, urgent care, radiology, pathology, anesthesia, ambulatory surgery center, and all centralized practice services (call center, health information management, and referral management).

Prior to his time with Optum/The Advisory Board Company/Southwind, he served as the Executive Administrator and Business Manager for the department of surgery at the Medical University of South Carolina. During his tenure, he oversaw an 80 percent growth in faculty and 41 percent growth in staff.

Edward holds a bachelor’s degree from Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina, and a Master of Health Administration from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. He is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, as well as an active member of the Medical Group Management Association, the South Carolina Medical Group Management Association, and the Multispecialty Group Executive Society.

Sam Vaill
Chief Development Officer

Sam brings nearly 20 years of experience in business development, healthcare, mergers & acquisitions, private equity, and investment banking to the United Digestive executive team.

Most recently, Sam served as Chief Growth Officer for Sequel Youth & Family Services, one of the largest national providers of residential and community-based behavioral health services for children, adolescents, and adults. He oversaw various business development teams and was responsible for organic growth, mergers & acquisitions, and de novo expansion. Sam was also responsible for helping start and set the strategy for their new Autism division.

Prior to that, Sam served as Chief Development Officer for US Acute Care Solutions, the largest physician-owned acute care provider in the country with a focus on emergency medicine and hospitalist management services. He led a team responsible for all growth-related initiatives for the organization, including mergers & acquisitions, organic growth, health system and hospital relationships, and other strategic partnerships.

Sam holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, and an MBA from Babson College’s F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business in Wellesley, Massachusetts.

Jana Baker
Vice President, Operations

Jana Baker brings more than 17 years of healthcare leadership experience to United Digestive. As former practice administrator for Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates, Jana was responsible for all financial, operational, and administrative functions of the practice. She worked closely with the practice’s managing partner and physician executive committee to strategically grow the organization through M&A, as well as played a key role in implementing new service lines, hiring physicians, and leading new building construction and renovation projects.

Previously, Jana worked for Stockamp & Associates (now part of Huron Consulting Group), where she consulted with large academic medical centers on revenue cycle improvements and optimization of inpatient throughput. She holds a bachelor’s in industrial engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, where she graduated with honors.

Leslie Graham
Vice President, Human Resources

Leslie Graham brings more than 20 years of human resources, employee engagement, and talent management experience to United Digestive’s executive team. Most recently, Leslie served as the director of people services for DaVita Dialysis providing expertise in the areas of leadership executive coaching, human resources operations strategy, leadership development, and performance management.

Prior to that, she served as the leadership talent attraction manager at Apple, Inc., held senior-level human resources positions at Target Stores, and served in leadership roles for the talent acquisition and training & development departments of Saks Fifth Avenue. Leslie holds a bachelor’s in psychology from Temple University in Philadelphia.

Neal C. Patel
Vice President, Clinical Development

In addition to serving as vice president of clinical development at United Digestive, Dr. Neal C. Patel is also a partner physician and former member of the physician executive committee.

Dr. Patel graduated magna cum laude and was a Presidential Scholar with a degree in Banking and Finance at the University of Georgia. He then graduated cum laude from the Morehouse School of Medicine, where he received the prestigious Academic Achievement Merit Scholarship. Dr. Patel later completed his internal medicine residency and gastroenterology and hepatology fellowship with the Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Education. While there, he was named assistant professor of medicine. He currently holds academic appointments with both Emory University School of Medicine and Morehouse School of Medicine.

Dr. Patel has been invited to present at numerous national conferences, including Digestive Diseases Week, American College of Gastroenterology’s Annual Meeting, and the ASGE Presidential Plenary Session. In addition, he has been widely published in numerous peer-reviewed journals and has also co-authored several book chapters, including a chapter in the highly regarded Sleisenger and Fordtran’s Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease.

Board of Directors

A culture of collaboration and accountability starts at the top. Our board of directors is comprised of cross-functional business and clinical leaders who help guide our organization and ensure we continue to accomplish our goals.

Mark Gilreath
Chief Executive Officer,
United Digestive

Steven Morris, MD
Co-Founder & Partner, United Digestive

Ryan Lucero
Principal, Frazier Healthcare

Lynn Massingale, MD
Co-Founder & Chairman, TeamHealth

Nadar Naini
Managing Partner, Frazier Healthcare

René Lerer, MD
Former President, Florida Blue

Physician Executive Committee

With a dynamic and engaged provider base, our physician executive committee serves as the voice for their local colleagues and helps guide the clinical side of the organization. Members are elected by their peers, represent our various geographic regions, and meet regularly with United Digestive’s leadership team.