The INITIATIVES TEAM

The professionals of Initiatives Healthcare have years of experience in developing superior healthcare delivery models. They are experts in all areas of healthcare management.

Meet the Executive Team

Edward McEachern, MD is a physician who has practiced medicine as well as been a hospital administrator and serial entrepreneur over the past 25 years. An internist, he trained at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, UCSF, and the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. He has held senior management roles in Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Ohio (CMO), Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center (VPMA/COO), and the University of Utah (CEO - orthopaedic hospital), where he is currently a faculty member in the Department of Orthopaedics. In addition to extensive corporate / academic experience, he is a serial entrepreneur, has started six companies in his career, the latest, Initiatives Healthcare, Inc., in 1999 (currently it’s CEO) to develop hospitals in the intermountain West. Initiatives has developed hospitals for (among others) the University of Utah, UCSF, the University of Missouri, and Ohio State University. Current Greenfield projects include Florence Arizona, Peoria, Arizona, Billings, MT, and Hurricane Utah.

Read more about Brent Cherne, CPA

Mike Mercy, MD graduated from and completed a residency in emergency medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine where he later served as Chief Resident of the Johns Hopkins Emergency Department. He served as Medical Director and Chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center from 1997 until 2005.

Mike McDonough is a former navy nurse-corpsman turned engineer who has built over $2 billion in healthcare facilities, first at HCA and currently as VP of Layton Construction. His ability to oversee and manage construction is critical to the venture.

Mary Bane, RN is a senior nurse manager and former JCAHO surveyor who has been responsible for JCAHO accreditation in over 20 hospitals during her career.

Fred Randolphis a senior level skilled nursing home, hospice, and long-term acute care hospital operator with operational experience in over a dozen settings, including the Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

Gary Faulkner is a retired US Army Colonel who specialized in logistics and public relations liaison with the Pentagon and congress during his military tenure. He has acted in the business development role in our Florence, Arizona project and will do so with future projects.

Tresha Kramer is an expert in media relations, donor relations, and is a free -lance writer and published author. Recently she was the director for public relations and philanthropy for the University of Utah’s school of Business. She developed a grass roots program adopted by the State Board of Education, which resulted in a collaborative educational experience between colleges and the Utah State Prison system. Governor Michael Leavitt awarded Tresha the prestigious Public Service Award given to enterprising citizens who make a difference in the community and state.

Bart Cochran is also a serial entrepreneur and systems thinker, and is currently the President of Clearwater Real Estate Investments. Bart’s expertise is in development of alternative and underutilized sources of capital and financing. In the last year, during the most storied recession since the Great Depression, Bart has navigated the growth of the Clearwater real estate funds and capitalized upon lucrative opportunities in this extremely negative environment. Recently Bart was awarded Idaho Business Review’s “40 under 40” award.

Andy Cude has an extensive background in development, largely in resort properties and golf courses. His expertise is in acquiring properties and entitling them for development, and working with municipalities to achieve the maximal sustainable use for properties.

Dan Welker, a ten-year veteran risk strategy consultant for KPMG Peat Marwick, CaptialOne, and Wells Fargo, specializes in understanding the development portfolio’s assents from a underwriting and risk management perspective and how that relates to private equity and public markets.

Doug Laux, CPA has over 30 years of diversified experience both as a member of senior management and as a third party advisor to existing management, owners and lenders regarding a variety of operational, strategic and financial matters. His experience includes serving both public and private companies as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, helping to raise significant equity in a variety of forms, restructuring debt, both domestically and internationally, buying and selling entire businesses or business units, assisting in several successful turn-around situations and managing a successful IPO.

James B. McCarthy addresses legal, organizational and financial issues. His thirty years experience in the health care field has ranged from analysis and planning to senior management roles. He has over thirty years experience in developing hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, and diagnostic centers in both the U.S. and overseas and in developing and implementing hospital and physician joint venture strategies.