Antoine Agassi Named Chief Information Officer of Cogent Healthcare.

Former Founding Director of Tenn. eHealth Advisory Council to begin new post July 1st

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Cogent Healthcare, the quality leader in hospital medicine, today announced the addition of veteran healthcare executive Antoine Agassi as Chief Information Officer, effective July 1. Prior to joining Cogent, Agassi served as founding Director and Chair of the State of Tenn.'s eHealth Advisory Council and brings more than 22 years of healthcare technology experience to the company.

With more than 400 employees, Cogent provides comprehensive hospitalist programs to hospitals in 16 states. Cogent measures its success in every partnership based on its ability to reach and exceed a hospital's clinical, quality, financial and regulatory goals, which requires continuous capture and analysis of more than 40 real-time data sources. Agassi will lead the company's ongoing effort to enhance its data-driven processes and use of technology.

"Having Antoine join our team is a signal of our commitment to relentless technological innovation to better serve our hospital partners and prove our value proposition," said Gene Fleming, Chief Executive Officer of Cogent.

"Antoine is well-known throughout the industry for his pioneering spirit, with a solid track record for acquiring and managing large-scale, successful operations. His experience and hunger to make a real difference in how our healthcare system functions will be a tremendous advantage for Cogent and our hospitals."

In 2006, Agassi joined the State of Tenn. as the Director and Chair of the State of Tenn.'s eHealth Advisory Council, an effort designed to develop and implement electronic medical records (EMRs) across the state. During his tenure, the Council established some of the most promising pilot projects in the nation for the development of a portable electronic medical record. Agassi will continue as the Council's chairman and advisor.

"Cogent is recognized as a leader in the industry, in large part due to the talent they have on board," said Agassi. "I look forward to working with this great team, and to continuing Cogent's efforts in utilizing healthcare informatics to improve the access and quality of care."

Prior to work with the State of Tenn., Agassi served as the Chief Technology Officer and the Chief Operating Officer of Spheris Corporation, a leading healthcare transcription and technology organization. Agassi has also worked in various capacities with WebMD Transactions Services (now known as Emdeon), ENVOY Corporation, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Utica-Watertown in New York.

Agassi serves on the boards of CareSpark, Innovative Valley Health Information Network, and the Mid-South eHealth Alliance. He is also on the Connecting for Health Steering Committee at the Markle Foundation, a member of WEDI and FORE Foundations and a founding principal of Satchel Ventures and Holdings. Agassi earned his MBA from Syracuse University and his Bachelor of Computer Science degree from the State University of New York.

About Cogent Healthcare

Cogent Healthcare is a leading provider of hospitalist programs. Its focus is to relentlessly improve the care and efficiency of hospitalized patients by reducing variations in care, establishing best practices, identifying and removing barriers to efficient care and measuring outcomes. To this end, the company provides a comprehensive system of care to its hospital partners that supports its hospitalists in the delivery of inpatient care and includes structure, a coordinated care team, data driven processes, rigorous ongoing training and experienced leadership. Cogent physicians continue to lead the profession by setting best practices for hospital medicine and providing a national mentoring program. For more information about Cogent Healthcare, visit www.cogenthealthcare.com.