W. Trent Kramer has over 25 years of experience in healthcare management with a concentration in finance, insurance, supply chain, information technology and marketing. Serving as President and CEO of Stratum Med and as President of Stratum Brokerage Company, Trent charts Stratum’s strategic direction to both optimize financial performance and maximize value for Stratum’s shareholders and clients. He also serves as Executive Director of Stratum Med Medicare Shared Savings Program Accountable Care Organization, one of the largest ACOs in the country, and Northwest Medical Group Alliance. Trent attended the University of Illinois where he earned a Bachelor’s in Finance and a Master’s in Business Administration.
With over 16 years’ experience in healthcare management, Ben Koger is Chief Operating and Strategy Officer of Stratum Med, overseeing its operational and financial performance and setting the strategic direction of the organization to enhance Stratum’s value to Shareholders and Clients. Before Stratum Med, Ben worked in operations where he managed targeted cost-saving initiatives, streamlined processes, and provided executive leadership for physician groups. Ben attended Vanderbilt University where he earned a Bachelor’s in Economics and a Master’s in Business Administration.
Lucas Thurman has 12+ years of healthcare administrative experience with specific focus in operational strategies, digital health, vendor partnerships, recruitment and population health initiatives. Lucas examines underlying inefficiencies within physician practice to find effective means to solve problems, working closely with technology and third-party partners to guide collaborative opportunities across multiple medical groups. He often serves as a research & development extension of Stratum shareholders and administers COO, CIO, Digital Health Strategy, Marketing and Ambulatory Surgery Center work groups. In addition, Lucas maintains high-level oversight of Stratum’s Executive Search services. Prior to healthcare, Lucas was an entrepreneur and spent over 10 years in the public sector. Lucas holds a degree in Business from Eastern Illinois University as well as an additional marketing degree and graduate studies from the University of Illinois.
Dr. Andrew Lundquist has 15 years of experience leading healthcare providers and systems. As the Chief Medical Officer at Mankato Clinic LTD, he oversees the medical practice of a multi-specialty group consisting of 180 clinicians and over 800 employees. Drew has built strong teams in the medical industry that have achieved remarkable success in patient service, quality improvement, business
development, and accountable care organizations. Drew earned his Master's in Business Administration-Healthcare from the University of St. Thomas and his medical degree from Des Moines University. He is a board-certified physician and a recognized leader in various professional organizations, including the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons and the American Podiatric Medical Association.
Dr. Rajul Gandhi serves Stratum as a clinical thought leader. He has been a patient-centered clinician for over two decades with experience in starting new service lines in ambulatory, hospital, managed care and post-acute settings. He has devised, implemented, and grown an analytic-driven Population Health Care Management model by harmonizing vertically integrated clinical teams and leveraging technology to improve quality metrics, decrease total cost of care and curb unnecessary utilization. As CCO, Rajul drives innovation using digital outreach methods to design clinical pathways for a health system while also coordinating a provider engagement strategy for a health plan. Rajul earned his Bachelor’s from Augustana College, an MBA from the University of Illinois, Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and completed his post-graduate residency at the University of Iowa.
Executive Director, Purchasing and Member Services
As Executive Director of Purchasing and Member Services, Jennifer Vallowe oversees the management of Stratum’s Supply Chain program, serving as the liaison between supply chain participants, Provista, Stratum’s Group Purchasing Organization, and Stratum’s long-term distribution partners. In this role, Jennifer analyzes operational performance and collaborates with vendors and suppliers to optimize cost savings for Stratum’s shareholders and clients. She also manages the Locum Tenens Coordination Services, assisting shareholders and clients in filling needs through Stratum’s extensive and trusted locum firm partnerships. Jennifer joined Stratum in 2012 after spending the first part of her career in the marketing arena, both at an agency and for a Fortune 500 company, before serving in the healthcare development field. Jennifer earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s of Science degrees from the University of Illinois.
As Director of Executive Search and Business Services, John Patterson runs the Executive Search team which provides recruitment services and expertise for high-level executive and physician leadership roles for large medical groups, and integrated healthcare delivery systems and health plans. Before coming to Statum, John led corporate recruiting and coached womens’ basketball at the University of Illinois where he was also responsible for athletic recruiting. In addition to Executive Search, John also works to advance Stratum’s existing relationships with external partners while working to cultivate new relationships with like-minded organizations. John also supports the Stratum Brokerage Company by facilitating and developing relationships. John earned his Bachelor’s from Fontbonne University.
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