Leaders

Cartesian Solutions, Inc.™ is a health management consulting S Corporation that specializes in health complexity and the integration of physical and mental condition services at each level of the healthcare system. Dr. Roger Kathol, an internist and psychiatrist with medical management credentials, founded it. He has 25 years of experience providing hands on integrated clinical care to complex patients at the University of Iowa; 2 years experience integrating mental and medical health business practices at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota; and 12 years experience assisting hospitals and clinics, health plans, employers, government agencies, and care management organizations and vendors integrate services for their constituencies.

Cartesian Solutions, Inc.™ works with a consortium of expert consultants who have specialized knowledge about various aspects of integrated care, including selected clinical specialty areas, financial and actuarial aspects of integrated health, integrated physical and mental condition data warehousing and analysis, physical space redesign, educational programs, and performance measurement. Cartesian Solutions, Inc.™ experts bring value to clients in the following ways:

• Health Care Purchasers
• Employers: reduces health-related costs (insurance and disability claims, lost productivity) through medical and mental health product and claims review and audit (comparative health service use and cost, health and disability insurance benefits, care management organization and work processes) and then realignment of contracts, benefits, and service design which foster integrated medical and mental health service delivery, care management, and disability work processes, especially in employees with health complexity
• Government Programs: reduces health-related costs (insurance and social, educational, and criminal justice system program use) through medical and mental health product and claims review and audit (comparative health service use and cost, health insurance benefits, care management organization and work processes) and then realignment of contracts, benefits, and service design which foster integrated medical and mental health service delivery, care management, and coordination with complementary services, especially in enrollees with health complexity
• Health Plans: reduces administrative and claims costs related to care support for chronically ill or complex members by introducing integrated physical and mental health benefit adjudication and integrated care management procedures that foster coordinated delivery of care leading to improved outcomes and reduction in health service use; includes contracting and care management upgrades distinguishing the health plan from others with the potential to increase market share
• Care Delivery Systems: reduces unreimbursed or under reimbursed expenses related to the care of complex, high cost patients in hospitals and clinics, patient-centered medical homes, and accountable care organizations by assisting in the upgrade to or design of cost-saving inpatient and outpatient integrated physical and mental condition delivery capabilities; facilitates payment processes with health plans that increase fiscal solvency
• Care Management: reduces organizational and health-related cost for clients/patients by introducing integrated physical and mental health methodology for complex patients in case and disease management programs; in collaboration with the Case Management Society of America (CMSA), selected Cartesian Solutions, Inc.™ consultants train care managers (case, disease, employee assistance, disability, workers' compensation, wellness) to incorporate integrated physical and mental health support capabilities for patients with health complexity and assist with organizational realignment that facilitates integrated care management delivery

Principal

Innovative health strategist who has extensive experience in the development of integrated programs and systems for patients with health complexity, many of whom have concurrent physical health and mental health/substance use disorders (mental conditions). His background ideally positions him to assist stakeholders in the health care industry to create integrated physical and mental condition solutions which improve care quality, augment clinical outcomes, reduce impairment, and lower total health care and health-related costs.

Executive Staff

A board certified physician with extensive experience in developing and running educational programs and in the administration of health care services. Dr. Mary Kathol, an academic radiologist, shifted her professional trajectory in 2005 from clinical radiology to one in which she could apply her expertise as an educator and program manager in the area of integrated health care services. Since taking on the role of Director of Project Implementation, she has organized numerous workshops and seminars on the integration of physical and mental condition services and has assisted in the initiation and completion of national and international integration projects for purchasers of health care, health plans, care delivery organizations, and care management companies. She contributed substantially to educational components of the recently published training manual on integrated case management.

Collaborative Consultants

Susan C. Sargent, CMC is President of her own consulting firm, Sargent Healthcare Management Advisors, LLC, a management consulting firm specializing in structuring risk-based arrangements, including feasibility assessments, fee determinations, proposal development, contract development, credentialing, and implementation. She has over 25 years of experience in integrated physical and mental health care consulting, emphasizing strategic planning, the management and financing of integrated health services, mergers/acquisitions/affiliations, development of alternative health systems, operations benchmarking, and the negotiation of managed care contracts. Recently, Ms. Sargent has additionally blended her services with those of architectural/design firms. This enables her to continue her consulting practice and blend facilities solutions with financial/operational/technical consulting gauged to the needs of the clients. Ms. Sargent received a Masters of Business Administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Smith College. Ms. Sargent has been co-consulting with Dr. Kathol and other Cartesian Solutions, Inc.™ consultants for over 30 years.

Dr. Kishi currently serves as Associate Professor in Psychiatry and is Director of the Psychiatric Service at Nippon Medical School at Musashikosugi Hospital in Kawasaki Japan. He has extensive experience in intercultural clinical, health system, and research activities dealing with medical and psychiatric illness. During his professional career, he spent four years in the United States working with Dr. Kathol while studying integrated health service delivery and the health systems that support them. He also has extensive international interaction with health system professionals throughout Europe. Dr. Kishi serves as the Cartesian Solutions, Inc.™ Japan and Asian countries consultant, supplying comparable capabilities for those wishing to set up economically advantageous integrated physical and mental condition programs for patients with health complex among countries in the Far East.

Mr. Melek has extensive experience in actuarial analyses of mental health/substance use disorder service use in relationship to physical health care, and especially in those with chronic and/or complex illnesses. He has provided several national managed care organizations with strategic suggestions on health improving and cost saving measures based on review of their claims experience. Mr. Melek's actuarial assessments, which demonstrate fiscal opportunities related health service and service support, complement other Cartesian Solutions, Inc.™ consultants who can provide clinical and administrative strategies that help the client best take advantage of the opportunity. Mr. Melek has co-consulted with Dr. Kathol and other Cartesian Solutions, Inc.™ consultants to health plans and large employers for the past five years. He and Dr. Kathol have been on national advisory panels together and co-presented at national professional and trade meetings.

Recognized as a national leader in addressing issues of importance in behavioral health, Mr. Melek has testified in Washington about the impact of parity and the potential for the integration of health services on total health care costs.

Ms. Perez, a national Board member of the Case Management Society of America (CMSA), is co-author of The Integrated Case Management Manual: Assisting Complex Patients Regain Physical and Mental Health and is certified as a trainer for the CMSA Integrated Case Management (ICM) and Case Management Adherence Guidelines (CMAG) Training Programs. She owns her own independent case management company, Carative Health Solutions, LLC and performs case management for a variety of clients. Ms. Perez has co-consulted to companies, health plans, and care management vendors interested in establishing state of the art integrated care management programs through workflow review and training with Cartesian Solutions, Inc.™ for the past three years.

Cheri Lattimer is the CEO and President of CMI, an innovative consulting and management company providing outsourcing and advisory services to the care management and health care industries. Cheri leads one of the most creative teams in the medical association and care management consulting industry. She serves as the Executive Director for the Case Management Society of America, the Executive Director for the Case Management Foundation and is the Coalition Director for the National Transitions of Care Coalition. Her leadership in quality improvement, case management, care coordination and transitions of care is known on the national and international landscape.

Dr. Sam Toney founded Health Integrated in 1996 where he designed and implemented an integrated approach for medical and behavioral utilization management, case management and disease management programs. Dr. Toney continues his work with Health Integrated in Tampa, Florida where he serves as Chief Medical Officer and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Dr. Bill Gold is a healthcare consultant with expertise in health plan care management, quality management and organizational effectiveness. He writes a monthly column on population health for Managed Care Interface and also serves on the board of Hudson Hospital.

Cartesian Solutions, Inc.™
3004 Foxpoint Rd. - Burnsville, MN 55337
Phone: 952-426-1626 - Fax: 952-426-1200
E-mail: integration@cartesiansolutions.com