WHO WE ARE

President and Chief Executive Officer

James Polfreman

James brings a unique blend of operational skill, retail health experience and passion to Elevate ENT Partners. He is responsible for leading the growth and development of the Elevate ENT Partners platform and their family of practices across multiple states, while also driving new practice acquisitions nationally. The company now includes 90 physicians across 60 locations, with plans to add additional practices.

Prior to his current role, James was the President and CEO of Solis Mammography from 2011-2019 and was responsible for ensuring the company’s promise of providing women with the most accurate, patient-focused and compassionate breast screening achievable.  The company was recapitalized by the Audax Group (2015) and Madison Dearborn Partners (2018) under James’ leadership. Between 2004 and 2011, James served as CEO of Memorial Hermann Hospital’s Retail Healthcare Businesses. He was responsible for all operational aspects of 27 outpatient imaging centers, 27 physical therapy centers, 19 ambulatory surgical centers and 37 outreach lab facilities.

Earlier in his career, James held the position of Vice President of Operations for River Oaks Imaging and Diagnostics located in Houston, Texas. He was ultimately responsible for the overall operation, profitability, and strategic growth of 10 freestanding imaging centers over a period of four years. The business was sold to Capstreet in 2003.

James received both his bachelor’s and master’s degree in Engineering from the University of Natal in South Africa. He also earned a master’s degree in Finance from the University of Houston.
James is an avid outdoor enthusiast with a focus on offshore sailing and fishing along with international travel.

Vice President of Human Resources

Ellen Charleton

Combining a passion for improving employee engagement with a deep understanding of Human Capital management, Ellen is responsible for all areas of the Human Resources function for Elevate ENT Partners.

Ellen has experience in multiple industries including Financial Services, Manufacturing, Retail, and Insurance. Her most recent role was Vice President of Human Resources with Sun Capital Partners, a private equity firm in Boca Raton.

Earlier in her career, she built the Human Resources function for Bayview Asset Management, a mortgage services and advisory firm, in Coral Gables, FL which grew from 50 to 2,500 employees during her thirteen-year tenure. She started her career in St. Louis at Gateway Apparel and Bombardier Motor Corporation of America.

Ellen received her bachelor’s degree from Washington University in St. Louis and her MBA from St. Louis University. In her free time, she enjoys scuba diving, boating, reading, travel, and art collecting.

Chief Financial Officer

Sylvain Foster

Sylvain joined Elevate ENT Partners as Chief Financial Officer in October of 2021. He is responsible for leading the Finance organization including Financial Planning & Analysis, Accounting, Revenue Cycle, Procurement, and Decision Support.

Sylvain brings a blend of financial and operational experience to Elevate ENT Partners. He held various positions within Hospitals and Physician groups with a focus on improving operational efficiency and driving revenue growth. Most recently, he served as CFO of Hospital & Physician Services for Healogics. At Healogics, he was responsible for the financial oversight of 625 outpatient Wound Care clinics and a 200 provider group across 46 States. Previously, he served as VP Finance for Clinical Operations at Dartmouth-Hitchcock where he oversaw the activities of the physician group practice and teaching hospital in Hanover, NH.

Earlier in his career, Sylvain was the Associate Chief Financial Officer for the University of Miami Hospital Division and the Department of Ophthalmology. He also served as Director of Financial Planning for the University of Miami Medical Group and School of Medicine.

Sylvain received his Bachelor’s degree in Finance from St. Thomas University (Miami, FL) and his Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Miami. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, running, inshore fishing, golfing, and skiing.

Medical Director

Jonathan D. Cooper, M.D.

Dr. Cooper was educated in NY at Union College and New York Medical College, graduating from both with honors. Following graduation, an internship and residency at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center prepared him for private practice as a general otolaryngologist. He started his own practice which enabled him to learn about the business of medicine.

In 2000, he was a founding member of South Florida ENT Associates, eventually serving as president from 2007 to 2017. Today, Dr. Cooper is an active member of the board of directors. During this time, he was deeply involved in managing the business and supporting the operation in various ways: contract negotiations, compliance review both on the business and medical side of the practice, credentialing, various HR issues, selection and implementation of an EMR, and long-term planning for the future of SFENTA.

Dr. Cooper also served as an officer of the medical staff at the Memorial Healthcare System, eventually serving as Chief of Staff. This enabled him to be chair of multiple committees, including: the credentials committee, the quality care and patient safety committee and the executive committee. From this experience he gained insight of how a large healthcare entity must be managed and best practices to lead physicians of diverse backgrounds with different levels of experience and differing needs.

The experience of nearly 30 years of practice and exposure to many different aspects of medical care allows him to bring a unique and valuable perspective to Elevate ENT Partners. Dr. Cooper is a proponent of physicians practicing evidence-based medicine and believes that when good physicians are supported by a solid business partner, these physicians can concentrate on practicing medicine without the distractions of ever-changing regulations and the interference from non-clinical entities such as insurance companies.

Vice President of Marketing and Patient Experience

Marta Velasco

Marta Velasco joined Elevate ENT as Vice President of Marketing and Patient Experience in January of 2021. She is responsible for leading customer-centric and digital focused marketing, brand, and advertising strategy.

Marta started her career as a brand strategist and consumer researcher for Procter and Gamble where she was classically trained as a consumer marketing leader. For over 15 years, she has reignited traditional healthcare brands by introducing customer relationship management theory, analytics and designing award-winning integrated digital ecosystems. She has served as head of marketing for multiple private equity sponsored national healthcare companies. She has a proven track record for connecting brand purpose to financial results by implementing scalable high-performance marketing platforms designed to inspire both internal and external stakeholders alike.

In her personal time, Marta is happiest with her husband and daughter experiencing the arts, nature, and sharing time with loved ones. Marta grew up in Madrid, Spain. She moved to Cincinnati, Ohio where she received a Bachelor’s degree in Communication from the University of Cincinnati. She has won over 20 awards in her career trajectory honoring her creative and strategic vision.

Chief Information Officer

Cliff Hogan

Cliff Hogan joined Elevate ENT as Chief Information Officer on December 14, 2020. Cliff has over twenty-five years experience in Information Technology leadership positions including areas of consulting, networking, and systems integrations. These have included a wide variety of industries including healthcare, dental, banking, as well as local and state government. Before joining Elevate ENT, Cliff was the Chief Information Officer for D4C Dental Brands, Inc located in Atlanta, GA. He helped to grow the D4C IT footprint into 15 states over a three-year timespan. Prior to D4C, Cliff was the Chief Information Officer with Women’s Care Florida for 16 years and helped to expand their business from the local Tampa Bay market into the second largest OBGYN specialty group nationally supporting over 360 healthcare providers across more than 100 outpatient facilities.

Cliff is originally from Birmingham, AL and attended the University of Montevallo. During his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family and playing the guitar.

Vice President of Strategic Operations

Alyson C. Bartell

Vice President of Strategic Operations, has over 12 years of experience constructing operational frameworks that serve leading ENT healthcare organizations in mapping efficient workflows, elevating accountability, and advancing technologies to minimize risk and maximize profitability.

Alyson has been recognized with multiple promotions for taking initiative, fully supporting organizational policies and procedures, building consensus among teams, serving as the go-to person of the organization, and finding creative ways to accomplish corporate goals. Some of those accomplishments include:

• Principal leader in capitalizing on $2.15M in government incentive money to regulatory governmental program requirements
• Creating and implementing strategies to comply with regulatory requirements
• Successfully negotiating provider terms, conditions, and increased rates
• Expanding organizational programs through identifying and sponsoring technological enhancements

Alyson received both her Bachelor and Master of Business Administration from Florida Atlantic University.

Vice President of Operations (Florida)

Puneet Mann

Brings a multi-faceted business leadership approach to Elevate ENT partners with a diverse healthcare operations experience with growth-oriented world class companies.

Puneet serves as the Vice President of Operations, providing overall Strategic and Operational support for the Florida Market. He is responsible for the growth and development of the Florida Market and leads the day-to-day operations, drives initiatives and direction.

Prior to his current role, Puneet was the Divisional Leader for National Veterinary Associates, which is the largest private owner of freestanding veterinary hospitals. NVA owns more than 1000 veterinary hospitals and pet resorts in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. While at NVA, Puneet led overall operations for Specialty and ER hospitals across Eastern United States with full control of over a $90 million P&L (and growing) and the company went through a recapitalization process, leading to a sale to JAB Investors. Before that, Puneet was an Associate Vice President of Operations at Sage Dental, a Dental Service Organization with practices in Florida and Georgia. Prior to that, Puneet was a Regional Operations Director at DaVita, a provider of dialysis services with more than 2600 clinics across USA. At DaVita, Puneet managed 18 dialysis centers, with over 350 teammates and nearly $100M in revenue in the Detroit, MI market. As a Director, Puneet oversaw all aspects of operations and development for his region.

Puneet has a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering from The Ohio State University and an MBA from Arkansas State University. In his free time, he loves spending time with his family, traveling and playing golf

Vice President of Operations (Texas)

Chase Authement

Chase Authement brings a strategic and focused approach to large scale healthcare management at Elevate ENT Partners, drawing from his demonstrated history of improving operational effectiveness across multi-site and multi-specialty practices. As the Vice President of Operations for Texas, his focus is to increase the operational and financial performance of established practices in the market, and to grow the Elevate ENT platform across the state through the merger and acquisition of other top-tier ENT groups in Texas.

Most recently, he has held the position of Senior Director of Practice Operations at Steward Health Care, with operational and financial oversight of a 120 provider multi-specialty group across the Houston, San Antonio, Beaumont and Port Arthur markets. Chase was successful in the recruitment and onboarding of 27 additional providers, opening 12 new practice locations, and acquiring 7 established practices across the state during his tenure with Steward, making the Texas region one of the fastest growing territories in the nation.

Earlier in his career, Chase has held Administrator positions for Texas Oncology and Complete Healthcare Services, overseeing healthcare operations for urology and primary care books of business. He served 6 years as a Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps with various overseas posts and assignments. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management and a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) focused in Healthcare Management from The University of Texas at Tyler.

Chase is a Texas native who enjoys hunting, fishing, and camping with his wife, Maria, and their beagle, Sandy Mae. He loves to travel internationally and work on craftsman projects in his shop. Chase and his wife are expecting their first baby this December!

Vice President of Development

Paul Tuffy

Paul joins us with over twenty-five years of experience in Business Development, Marketing and Sales. Most recently, he was the VP of Development with United Surgical Partners International. Previously, he was the VP of Corporate Development for United Digestive and an Executive with Advanced Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery.

He also was co-founder and managing partner for Ermis Labs, held senior-level marketing positions for Stiefel Laboratories, and served in leadership roles for the sales, marketing, finance, and operations departments at Amgen.

Paul received his Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from University of Pittsburgh and his MBA from Pepperdine University.

Vice President of Compliance

Jose Camps, CCO

Jose has recently joined Elevate ENT Partners as Vice President of Compliance and Chief Compliance Officer. Jose’s 35 years of experience comes from working with large health systems including physician practices. He gained most of his knowledge through the revenue cycle, over the last 15 years, he acquired additional experience with State and Federal regulations while working as a compliance professional.

His experience in healthcare ranges from revenue cycle, CMS Billing Guidelines, Stark Law and Anti-Kickback referral statutes, False Claims Act, EMTALA, Policy and Procedure implementation, Ethics, HIPAA Privacy and Security regulations including breach notification rules and the implementation of the seven elements of a compliance program. Prior to working at Elevate ENT, Jose worked at Miami Children’s Health Plan, NCHS as the Chief Compliance and Privacy Officer.

Jose received a Bachelor of Science with a major in Health Services Administration and has a master’s degree from Nova Southeastern University in Health Law with a major in Regulatory Compliance and holds a certification in Compliance (CHCO). Jose enjoys spending time with his wife and four children, he loves fishing, boating, traveling, reading, and singing.

M.D., F.A.C.S., Board of Directors

Frank Kronberg

Dr. Kronberg is dedicated to providing his patients with the highest quality medical care for problems related to the Ear, Nose and Throat. His first and foremost concern is for his patients. That is one of the main reasons that he was a founding member of South Florida ENT Associates. He served on the formation board for the practice and has been instrumental through the years as one of the lead physicians in establishing what is one of the best ENT practices in the country.

Dr. Kronberg has been caring for patients in South Florida since he finished his residency in Otolaryngology at The University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital in 1985. He attended medical school in New York at The Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He is Board Certified in Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery and Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Dr. Kronberg has been instrumental in hiring the best physicians in the country to join the practice and spearheaded the initiative to partner with Audax, a private equity company, which has given him the ability to continue to practice state of the art medicine and to treat his patients with the most advanced diagnostic tools.

For the past 35 years Dr. Kronberg has had the opportunity to treat both adults and children for numerous Ear, Nose and Throat medical and surgical conditions including: Nasal and Sinus disorders, Hearing loss, Dizziness, Speech and Swallowing disorders, Disease of the Thyroid and Parotid, Head and Neck Cancer and Reconstructive surgery, Sleep disorders and Allergies. He utilizes the latest technology including balloon sinus surgery, in-office CT scans, digital fiberoptic evaluation and dispenses the most technologically advanced hearing aids available.

Dr. Kronberg is on the medical staff at five Baptist Health System hospitals and has served on numerous committees including the Credentials Committee and he assisted in the creation of the Miami Cancer Institute. He is a Fellow in the American College of Surgeons, a member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology- Head and Neck Surgery, the American Head and Neck Society and the Network of Florida Otolaryngologists where he is also a member of the Board. Dr. Kronberg is the Physician President of South Florida ENT Associates and serves on the Board of Elevate ENT Partners. He is a member of the faculty of the Florida International University -Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine where he teaches and helps train the 3rd and 4th year medical students and the family practice residents. Dr. Kronberg is the ENT Team doctor for the Miami Heat Basketball team.

Outside of medicine Dr. Kronberg is a devoted family man. He has a large loving family that he enjoys spending time with. He is an avid reader, antique map collector and he loves to travel. For a change of pace from medicine he exercises daily, has renovated homes and he designs and builds furniture.

M.D., F.A.C.S., Board of Directors

Felipe Martinez

Dr. Martinez has been helping patients for over 40 years. Certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology. He graduated from University of Miami school of Medicine. Graduated cum laude with a major in Biology and minors in Chemistry. He completed his residency at Jackson Memorial Hospital in 1982. Dr. Martinez is also a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and of the American Society Head and Neck Surgery. He also holds professional memberships with the American Academy of Otolaryngology- Head and Neck surgery, and member of the American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy. Dr. Martinez specializes in nasal or sinus surgery, Allergy treatment and voice disorders.

M.D., F.A.C.S., Board of Directors

Richard J Vivero

Dr. Richard Vivero is co-managing partner of South Florida ENT Associates (SFENTA) largest care center, overseeing the day-to-day operations and strategic plans for the groups 15 physicians. Dr. Vivero served on the SFENTA Board of Directors and was an integral part of the deal team that guided the partnership between SFENTA and Audax. Dr. Vivero currently serves on the board of the new partnership, Elevate ENT Partners.

Dr. Vivero graduated with honors from Harvard College with a B.A. in Biology, earned his M.D. from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and completed a fellowship in Laryngology and Laryngeal Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School.

M.D., F.A.C.S., Board of Directors

Cary Moorhead

Dr. Cary Moorhead’s passion for education is evident in his medical practice. He enjoys the constant problem solving that medicine demands as well as the technical challenges of surgery. He’s constantly studying the latest research and learning new techniques. Dr. Moorhead has been a pioneer in the Houston area in delivering the newest innovations in sinus procedures and was one of the first physicians in Texas to offer the Inspire implant procedure to treat sleep apnea. He also enjoys the personal interaction with his patients. He considers listening to patients and designing a treatment program to best suit each patient to be one of the most important facets of medicine.

The prestige of the Texas Medical Center brought Dr. Moorhead to Houston to attend medical school and complete his residency at Baylor College of Medicine, one of the top medical programs in the country. It’s no surprise he wanted to seek the best of the best. Dr. Moorhead graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in German Literature from Princeton University.

While he grew up in Ohio, he now considers Houston home. He says nowhere else have the people been as accepting, open and friendly as Houston. He believes that here you can make whatever you want for yourself.

A founding member of Texas ENT Specialists, Dr. Moorhead has served as its president since 2014. He helped to grow the group from three physicians in 1995 to its current size. As a leader in the organization, he has sought to attract the highest quality physicians and other team members and to foster the highest standards of professionalism in order to deliver unmatched quality of care to Texas ENT patients. Now, in partnership with The Audax Group, under the national Elevate ENT umbrella, Dr. Moorhead is excited to be able to take his passion for innovation and excellence and share it with other partnering ENT groups across the great state of Texas and the nation. Dr. Moorhead sits on the board of directors of Elevate ENT.

Dr. Moorhead is Chairman of the Board of Faith in Practice, a national medical mission group that provides medical and surgical care in Guatemala. He personally leads surgical teams to the country every other year. In addition, he frequently travels with his family to Zambia, Africa with an organization called Family Legacy, which works to provide education for children who have been orphaned from AIDS, malaria and other diseases. He has been a big brother in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program since 2015.

Dr. Moorhead is a Diplomate of the American Board of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery and a Fellow of the American Academy of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery. He became board certified in Sleep Medicine in 2008.

Dr. Moorhead’s dedication carries through in his hobbies too. He’s an avid runner and has competed in six marathons including running the prestigious Boston Marathon twice. He re-qualified for the Boston Marathon for a third time in 2019. He also enjoys skiing, yoga and gardening. Dr. Moorhead and his wife have two girls, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named George and a Lagotto Romagnolo named Henry.

M.D., Board of Directors

Manish K. Wani

Houston’s vibrant international and multi-cultural city along with the Texas Medical Center brought Dr. Manish Wani to Texas ENT Specialists in 2001. Dr. Wani started his medical career at Baylor College of Medicine. He fulfilled his internship and residency at the University of Tennessee School of Medicine where he was awarded both the Scholastic Achievement Award for Best Resident and the Resident Research Award. Following residency, Dr. Wani completed a Fellowship at Rush Presbyterian Hospital in Chicago, Illinois with Dr. William Panje in Head and Neck Surgery and Advanced Rhinology. He was Chief of Staff at Christus St. Catherine Hospital from 2009-2011. He has served as Chief of Surgery at Methodist West Hospital from 2015-2017followed by President of the Medical Staff at Methodist West Hospital from 2019-2021. He is a Diplomate of the Fellow of American College of Surgeons (FACS) and obtained Board Certification through the American Board of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery in 2000. He is a Fellowship trained sub-specialist in Advanced Rhinology and Head and Neck Cancer.

Dr. Wani is passionate about combining the latest surgical techniques with a personal approach for each patient he encounters. He provides ENT care to patients of all ages, with interest in chronic sinus disease as well as the treatment for underlying sinus allergies. Additionally, Dr. Wani is equally passionate about his commitment about his role as a leader. Dr. Wani recently earned a graduate studies certificate from Harvard University in Safety, Quality, Informatics and Leadership (SQIL). He is one of the founding partners of Texas ENT Specialists where he serves as Vice President of the executive committee since 2014. In 2021, Dr Wani has been appointed to the board of directors of Elevate ENT, the newly formed partnership initiative with Audax. Under this new platform, Dr. Wani will collaborate with stakeholders to stay ahead of the curve with a enterprising focus on growth, collaboration and integration and a continued effort in leading medicine and providing advanced patient care

Dr. Wani also serves on the Board of Directors for the Eternal Gandhi Museum f Houston (EGMH) whose simple mission is to promote the values of truth, non-violence, and peace. Since 2008, he has served in medical missions with Faith in Practice at the Obras Sociales del Santo Hermano Pedro hospital in Antigua, Guatemala and also spent time in Haiti in 2010 after the earthquake. Dr. Wani has finished the 2004 Houston Marathon and finished the 2014 Houston Tough Mudder obstacle course. He regularly attends classes at Volt City Crossfit and enjoys traveling, reading and skiing and is an avid fan of professional sports. He lives in Katy and has two children.