People

Governance Board

Marc Futernick, MD

Marc Futernick, MD, is an Emergency Physician and climate advocate. He is the Director of Clinical Services for U.S. Acute Care Solutions, where he serves on the National Clinical Governance Board and chairs the West Division Governance Board. Dr. Futernick has managed VEP Ventures I and II since their inception and is the founder of Transform Health Ventures LLC. Dr. Futernick is the founding Managing Editor of the Journal of Climate Change and Health. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Climate Resolve, a non-profit whose mission is to champion equitable climate solutions. He is a Past President of the California Chapter of ACEP and he serves on the Board of Directors of the Dignity Health California Hospital Medical Center Foundation. Dr. Futernick is a graduate of UCLA and Tulane University School of Medicine. He completed residency training in Emergency Medicine at UCSF-Fresno in 2000 and has practiced in Los Angeles since then.

Dominic J. Bagnoli, Jr., MD

Dominic J. Bagnoli, Jr., MD, serves as Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of US Acute Care Solutions. Dr. Bagnoli founded Emergency Medicine Physicians in 1992. Dr. Bagnoli has served on numerous industry boards, including DispatchHealth, Healthagen LLC, and GI Alliance. Dr. Bagnoli’s success as an entrepreneur and business visionary has been recognized through his receipt of numerous industry awards such as the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year and recognition by Harvard Business Club of Northeast Ohio for outstanding entrepreneurship. In addition, his firms have earned distinction as a Weatherhead 100 Fastest Growing Company, and were honored as the Best Employer in Ohio and Modern Healthcare’s Best Places to Work in Healthcare in the US for six consecutive years. Dr. Bagnoli is a board-certified diplomate of the American Board of Emergency Medicine. Dr. Bagnoli holds a bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University and his medical degree from Wright State University School of Medicine. He performed his internship and residency at Akron General Medical Center.

Stephen Liu, MD

Stephen Liu, MD, is the Medical Director and Chairman of Emergency Medicine at Adventist Health White Memorial in Los Angeles, CA. He is currently a member of the National Clinical Governance Board of US Acute Care Solutions (USACS). He also serves as a strategic and clinical advisor to Mednition, a company that uses artificial intelligence to improve emergency department care. Other leadership positions held by Dr. Liu include regional medical director, member of the Board of Directors of VEP Healthcare, and the California Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians (Cal/ACEP). He earned his bachelor’s degree with honors in chemistry and economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and his medical degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine. He completed his residency in Emergency Medicine at Stanford University Medical Center.

Diligence Commitee

Gary W. Tamkin, MD, FACEP

Dr. Gary Tamkin is a board-certified emergency physician and has been actively involved with Transform Health Ventures since its inception. He serves as Vice President of Physician and APP Development for US Acute Care Solutions and is a member of the USACS National Clinical Governance Board. Dr. Tamkin is a former Associate Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and the inaugural Chair of the CommonSpirit Health Emergency Services Care Committee. He is also a past President of the California Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians. He currently serves as statewide Medical Director for the California Highway Patrol and sits on the California Hospital Association EMS and Trauma Advisory Committee. Dr. Tamkin earned his undergraduate degree in Community Health from Brown University, received his medical degree from UC Irvine, and completed his emergency medicine residency at UCSF Alameda County Highland Hospital where he served as Chief Resident. .

Jon Oskvarek, MD, MBA

Jon Oskvarek, MD, MBA, is an emergency physician with US Acute Care Solutions and Research Director at Summa Health in Akron, Ohio. Dr. Oskvarek was in the first class of US Acute Care Solutions Innovation Fellows and during that time helped devise, implement, and evaluate several national programs to improve patient care. Dr. Oskvarek has continued to conduct operations and research work and also has received grant funding to evaluate a pilot emergency medicine alternative payment model. Dr. Oskvarek enjoys working with startups and entrepreneurs and previously participated in the Chicago Booth School of Business New Venture Challenge. Dr. Oskvarek was raised in the Chicago suburbs and attended undergrad at Purdue University. He completed medical school, business school and residency at the University of Chicago.

Samuel Elberts, MD, FACEP

Samuel Elberts, MD, is an emergency medicine physician with U.S Acute Care Solutions on the Strategic Traveling Ambassador Team, working across Illinois, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Dr. Elberts is currently completing his MBA at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. His professional interests include rural health care and entrepreneurship. Dr. Elberts is a published researcher and received the Levitt Research Award for his efforts. Dr. Elberts completed his residency training in Emergency Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Dr. Elberts is a graduate of the Temple University School of Medicine and Northwestern University where he studied Biology and Computer Science.

Nathan Samras, MD

Nathan Samras, MD, is board-certified in both Pediatrics and Internal Medicine, and practices at UCLA Beverly Hills Primary Care. He serves as the Associate Chief of Internal Medicine-Pediatrics at UCLA Health and directs programs to improve the quality of care for patients while supporting physicians’ efficiency and reducing burnout. His clinical interests include supporting parents with young children; improving the quality of care for pediatrics; tracking developmental issues in infants and toddlers; and transitioning children with special healthcare needs into adult care. Dr. Samras is also an assistant professor of pediatrics and internal medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, studying healthcare utilization research. He is interested in global health and leads a team of volunteers from medical schools and residencies to assist in clinics and hospitals in Nicaragua. Dr. Samras received his medical degree from the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey, and his combined internal medicine and pediatrics training from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He completed his undergraduate studies at Duke University in North Carolina.

Transform Health Ventures
Marc Futernick: marcfuternick@vepinvestments.com