About Us

M. Ruth Coleman, RN, MA

Founder and Chief Executive Officer

Prior to founding Health Design Plus in 1988, Mrs. Ruth Coleman had more than 20 years of experience in HMO and hospital management, patient care, and nursing education. Her experience includes several executive HMO and hospital management positions with responsibility for network development, utilization management, customer service, quality management, marketing, strategic planning, and operations. Coleman used this breadth of managed care and care delivery experience to create an organization that provides high quality management for employer sponsored health benefit plans.

Her experience, expertise and leadership have guided Health Design Plus through incredible growth, recognized by numerous awards, including the prestigious Inc. 500 and ten consecutive years as part of the Weatherhead 100, along with being named one of the Top Ten Women Business Owners in Northeast Ohio, and a finalist for the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

William E. Coleman, PhD

Professor and Assistant to the President for Diversity, Mount Union College

Dr. Coleman is a professor and co-chair for the Department of Communication; and the Assistant to the President of Diversity at the University of Mount Union. He has a Ph.D. in Rhetorical Theory and Criticism from The Ohio University; a Master of Divinity in Religion and Theology from Capital University; a Master of Arts in Communication from The Ohio State University; and a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communication from The Ohio State University. Dr. Coleman has been with the University of Mount Union for 25 years. His past administration positions include Chair of the Department of Communication; Director of African-American Studies; Chair of the Department of Communication & Theater and Director of College Library.

Frederick R. Kinsler, CLU

Consultant

Mr. Kinsler has more than 40 years of sales and management experience in Life Insurance, Property Casualty Insurance and the Administration of Self-Funded Employee Benefit Plans. He has served as Vice President of Marketing for the JCPenney Casualty Insurance Company and President and COO of a large, Ohio-based, Third Party Claims Administrator.

James Koehler, BA, JD

Attorney and Partner, Koehler Neal, LLC

Mr. Koehler is an attorney and a partner in the law firm of Buckley King, LPA. Based in the firm’s headquarters in Cleveland, Jim’s practice includes counseling domestic and international business clients in transactional matters and securities issues. He received a B.A. from the College of Wooster and J.D. from Case Western Reserve University School of Law. Jim is a member of the American, Ohio State and Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Associations, the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, and is a member of the American Bar Association Committee on Federal Regulation of Securities.

Mr. Koehler has been active with his law school, serving as President of its Alumni Association and as Co-Chair of two annual fund campaigns and its most recent capital campaign. He is presently Vice Chair of the C.W.R.U. School of Law Visiting Committee. Jim also serves on the boards of directors of Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Greater Cleveland and Lake-Geauga Recovery Centers and has served as Chair of both Boards.

John Strickland, BS, MCSE

President and Chief Information Officer

John Strickland is President and Chief Information Officer for Health Design Plus. In this role, he is responsible for Health Design Plus vision and strategy, the oversight of internal operations, and the development and management of technology. With over 20 years of experience in Health Benefit Management, both in operational and technological roles, Mr. Strickland is an insightful and innovative leader.

As HDP’s Chief Information officer from 2002 through 2011, Mr. Strickland led the technological advancements instrumental in establishing HDP as a leading innovator of Health and Benefit Management solutions.   Prior to joining Health Design Plus, he was most recently an executive with a leading Benefit Management software development company.  He is a graduate of the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, and a member of multiple charitable organizations.

Louis Castellano, MBA, CPA (Non-Practicing)

Chief Financial and Operations Officer

Louis Castellano is Chief Financial Officer for Health Design Plus. As Chief Financial Officer, he is responsible for the oversight of all Health Design Plus internal finance functions, including client banking, client billing services, budgeting, and forecasting. He also leads the preparation process for new client proposal pricing and current client renewal pricing. When he joined the Health Design Plus team in 2001, he maintained a dual responsibility for the Human Resource function until 2008. In 2006, he received oversight of four additional operational areas: Claims and Customer Service, Compliance and Quality which he continued until 2008.

He began his career in 1980 with Deloitte Haskins and Sells as a Senior Auditor. In 1984, he obtained a growth role as a Senior Financial Analyst for the NMR Division of Picker International. In 1987, he was hired by Mt. Sinai Medical Center as Director of Internal Audit and later promoted to Assistant Vice President of Finance where he was responsible for budgeting, cost accounting, internal audit, investments and tax management. There, his expertise developed budget and cost reduction programs and initiatives. Approximately 10 years later, he joined Cuyahoga Physician Network, Inc. as the Chief Financial Officer. Through his strong leadership capabilities, he built and oversaw all financial functions and information systems, including the coordination of employee benefits, contract reviews, and physician billing and collection initiatives.

He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from Miami University and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Cleveland State University, both located in Ohio. He passed the Certified Public Accountant exam in May, 1980, and currently holds a Non-Practicing, Certified Public Accountant designation.

Britt Hayes, BA

Vice President of Business Development

Britt Hayes is Vice President of Sales for Health Design Plus. In his role as Vice President of Sales, he is responsible for developing new relationships with various stakeholders in Health Design Plus’s current target market. With over 15 years of experience in the healthcare industry, he applies his expertise implementing innovative selling strategies to support Health Design Plus’s business objectives. Additionally, he provides education and information necessary to support client needs and streamline processes for better health plan solutions.

Prior to joining the Health Design Plus team, he held various senior roles in the healthcare industry such as Great-West Healthcare/CIGNA, and Acordia/Wells Fargo of West Virginia. He is experienced in managing vendor relationships including PPO networks, reinsurance carrier markets, and prescription drug management companies.

Mr. Hayes received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mass Communications, with a minor in Business from the University of Charleston in West Virginia. He volunteers for United Way, the Special Olympics, and is a member of the National Alumni Board of Directors for the University of Charleston.

Roberta Kordish, RN, MSN, CNS

Vice President of Product Development

Mrs. Kordish has over 25 years experience as entrepreneur, consultant, and clinical manager. Co-founder and Treasurer of Professional Nurse Associates, providing maternal-child care management programs for large corporations and managed care organizations.

Eric M. Yasinow, MD

Medical Director

Eric M. Yasinow, MD is Medical Director for Health Design Plus. In this role, he ensures the utilization review and case management decisions are in accordance with best medical practices. He serves on Health Design Plus’s Appeals and Grievances committee, and is a consultant for the components of the Good Health by Design disease management program, Healthy Living™. He also serves as chairman of the company’s Medical Dental Advisory Committee.

Dr. Yasinow received a Bachelor of Science degree with high distinction in mathematics from the University of Michigan and a Doctor of Medicine from Case Western Reserve University in Ohio. He completed his post-graduate training at University Hospitals of Cleveland, where he currently remains affiliated. In 1986, he joined the private practice of Drs. Coehn, Kozokoff, and Liberman which later formed the Internal Medicine Group of Cleveland. In 2007, he assumed the title Medical Director of Risk Management in addition to caring for patients. In this area of responsibility, he serves as a liaison between University Hospital’s medical practices and attorneys, and designs and implements Clinical Risk Management Education programs. In tandem with this role, he was also the Assistant Medical Director for Health Design Plus.

Dr. Yasinow is certified by American Board of Internal Medicine. He participates in professional societies such as the American College of Physicians, the American Society of Internal Medicine, and the Northern Ohio Medical Association. He continues to show passion for the education of future physicians, holding an appointment as Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at Case Western University School of Medicine.

Sandra L. Pogozelski

Director of Operations

Sandra L. Pogozelski is Senior Director of Quality and Compliance for Health Design Plus. In her current role, she is responsible for the interpretation and compliance with all laws, rules, and regulations instituted by all levels of government that impacts the way Health Design Plus conducts its TPA and BPO business. She also leads key quality and process improvement programs, such as operational audits. Prior to this role at Health Design Plus, Ms. Pogozelski was Director of Appeals and Grievances where she was responsible for fostering positive relations with various State Departments of Insurance and federal regulatory agencies on behalf of the Health Design Plus book of business. She continues to lead and manage effective operational procedures for the current Appeals and Grievance processes. With over 20 years of experience in the insurance industry, she demonstrates success by supporting compliance achievements in the areas of claims and appeals processing, regulatory compliance, and the privacy of health and financial information.

Prior to joining Health Design Plus in 2010, she held influential roles in compliance underwriting and health information management. She began her career in 1988 with Ceres Group, Inc., where she managed and directed numerous areas, focusing on underwriting and administrative operations. She advanced her roles of responsibility as a Director of Market Conduct, managing all market conduct activities and implementation of all operational changes required in achieving enhanced compliance requirements. In 2003, she was promoted to Vice President of Market Conduct where she became the lead for company-wide HIPAA and GLBA Privacy implementation, HIPAA Transaction and Code Sets, GLBA security, and Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Coverage. She also acted as the company liaison with Federal Agencies and State Insurance Departments related to market conduct regulation and managed all market conduct examinations for various affiliated companies. Her most recent role began in 2007 as a Director of Health Information Management and Record Acquisition with Litigation Management, Inc. where she designed and implemented quality programs and improved overall accuracy ratios to exceptional standard levels.

Ms. Pogozelski received a Certificate in Leadership at Baldwin-Wallace College in Ohio. She also holds designations as a Health Insurance Associate (HIA) and HIPAA Professional (HIPAAP). She is active in the Girl Scouts of America and volunteers in community and mission outreach initiatives.

Denise K. Burrow, RN, BSN

Director of Care Management

Mrs. Burrow has over 15 years of managed care experience and over 10 years of leadership experience in disease management. She has a background in care coordination and disease management program development with proven successful implementation. She is an expert at identifying client and member needs and as such has consistent delivery of high quality outcomes. At Health Design Plus she is responsible for overseeing the operations of utilization and case management, along with lifestyle and disease management solutions.

Frances Fikes, BA

Compliance Officer and Director of Recovery

Frances E. Fikes is Compliance Office and Director of Recovery for Health Design Plus. In this role, she is responsible for developing policies and procedures to execute compliance for all Federal and State regulatory requirements pertaining to Health Design Plus and its clients. She also oversees subrogation activities and interacts with all clients regarding any worker's compensation issues.

With over 30 years of medical claims background, Ms. Fikes began her career with Prudential Group Health in 1976. During her twenty plus years with Prudential, she assumed the role of Claims Department Manager maintaining Prudential's high production and quality standards. These standards resulted "no-loss" of clients in her specific department.

Ms. Fikes was chosen by its corporate office to participate on a transitional task team converting all offices to a new claims paying system. Using her skills and expertise from other locations, she developed a Technical Department for the Northern Ohio Group Health Claim Office which she managed until operations ceased. This department eventually housed the quality, auditing, system security, client plan build, provider and eligibility for all clients in the office. Ms Fikes was responsible for providing claim system demonstrations for existing and perspective clients. She also instituted various training classes for topics such as Risk Management and the Baldridge National Quality Program.

Joining Health Design Plus in 1998, Ms. Fikes was responsible for developing policies and procedures Company wide. In 2000, she became Claims Director for the Findlay and Hudson locations, facilitating client claims and technical administration. In 2002, she assumed the leadership role as Director of Compliance and Recovery which evolved into her current role.

Ms. Fikes received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education from Central State University in Ohio. She is an active member of the Society of Professional Benefit Administrators (SPBA), a certified member of Health Insurance Association of America (HIAA) and is a member of the Users Executive Committee working with our software vendor, Eldorado Computing, Inc.

Molly J. Kinnell, BS

Director of Client Informatics

Molly J. Kinnell is Director of Client Informatics for Health Design Plus. In her role, she is responsible for monitoring and managing client healthcare cost trend across the book of business. With over 10 years of experience within multi-departments at Health Design Plus, her contributions allow the organization to move the needle toward significant client cost-savings and better overall efficiency.

Prior to this experience, she has held other integral roles at Health Design Plus. Beginning her career at Health Design Plus in 1999, she was part of the Provider Services team, where she developed client specific network development and recruitment, performed provider credentialing, and participated in fee schedule negotiations. In 2001, she moved into client integration as a Client Manager, managing complete client implementation processes, including additional services implementation, and managing the daily servicing of large accounts. In 2002, she assumed an additional role of Eligibility Manager to develop full automation of the eligibility process and groomed a new department utilizing improved internal processes for efficiency and scalability.

In 2005, she was promoted to Manager, Network Development, where she was accountable for analyzing network effectiveness and placing new networks and solutions with potential and current clients. Additionally in 2006, she accepted the role of Manager, Client Development where she was integral in developing quarterly and annual reports as well as maximizing Health Design Plus's operational efficiency. She was promoted to her current position in 2009.

She earned Bachelor of Science degrees in both Mathematics and Biology from Allegheny College in Pennsylvania.

Jennifer Lescsak

Director of Business Development

Jennifer Lescsak is Director of Business Development for Health Design Plus. In her role, she is responsible for developing strategies and building new relationships that gain momentum within new target markets for Health Design Plus. With over 17 years of experience in the healthcare industry including 4 years with Health Design Plus, she has demonstrated success by leading PPO network management and analytical reviews to provide the best network solutions and cost savings to Health Design Plus’s existing and prospective clients. Her most significant areas of expertise include market intelligence, sales, network and vendor analysis, reviewing large claims, and spear-heading the negotiation process with providers, leading to millions of dollars in additional savings for clients.

Prior to joining Health Design Plus in 2007, she held numerous leadership roles in provider contracting and relations, operations, national sales, network management, and strategic business development with one of the managed care industry’s largest PPO plans. Immediately following this endeavor, she worked as a consultant for an e-government healthcare technology company, where she was in charge of national sales, business development, and marketing.

She studied Business Administration at Kent State University. She is licensed to sell Life, Accident, Health and Variable Annuity Products in the State of Ohio. She performs volunteer work for her community athletic association.

Gary J. Lynce, BS

Account Manager

Gary Lynce is an Account Manager for Health Design Plus. As Account Manager, he is responsible for servicing major national group clients and their consulting partners. Playing a consultative role, he institutes comprehensive service implementation practices, and delivers actionable claims administration and cost containment for care and disease management data specific for each client.

His healthcare career has encompassed various roles for companies such as NCS Healthcare and Antares Management Solutions. In 1993, he joined NCS Healthcare as an Accounting Supervisor, directing a specialized team that performed accounts payable, Medicare and Medicaid pharmacy and insurance claims. He then assumed a more technical role as Web Connect Manager, training employees on new technical upgrades to systems and software, and installing new enhancements for online access to medical and pharmacy data files.

In 2002, he joined Antares Management Solutions as a Billing and Payment Manager. His combined expertise in accounting and healthcare prepared him to launch opportunities that pursued higher levels of quality assurance and audit completion rates. He provided leadership and guidance for the billing and payment functions for five health insurance companies. As a Health System Administrator, he performed claims processing and adjudication initiatives, including an overall system configuration of managed care organization claim processing systems. In 2004, he was promoted to Regional Account Manager managing multi-billion dollar accounts and meeting service level agreements.

Prior to his current role, in 2011 he joined Fujitsu America Incorporated as an Account Manager. He utilized his management, technical and accounting skills in a more global range, assuming responsibility for high profile international retail clients having between three and thirty billion dollars in revenue. Developing unique solutions to the service needs of his clients, he worked with technical and customer service teams to create and execute timely statements of work and developed attainable service level agreements based on strategic resource allocations.

Mr. Lynce graduated from University of Phoenix with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business. He is currently attending Baldwin Wallace University in Ohio working towards a Master’s degree in Business Administration.