About Us

Founded in early 2009, Apex Health Systems is a national consulting firm that works to help medical clinics and hospitals successfully adopt Electronic Health Records and take full advantage of the HITECH act which provides incentives for the “meaningful use” of “certified” Electronic Health Record Systems.  We are fully engaged to improve the quality of health, increase patient satisfaction, improve billing and collections, encourage clinical research, and prevent waste in the Health Care industry.

Today we are a rapidly growing consulting firm that works with various Healthcare IT vendors in non-biased relationships.

Our Leadership:

Josh Rice – CEO 

Mr. Rice is the visionary behind Apex Health Systems.  He began his career in the banking sector while studying Business and Computer Science at Arizona State University.  However, the medical field was in the “family” with family members owning and working in billing services, urgent care facilities, dentist offices, family practice offices and more, which led to many opportunities in the medical field.  Mr. Rice spent time in the Revenue Cycle Management and Practice Management fields working in various roles of management.  After obtaining a degree in Computer Science, Mr. Rice looked into starting an Electronic Health Records company but found himself at a crossroads when the technology seemed to be behind what was needed in the medical offices at the time.

Mr. Rice went back into the banking field and led a successful career of 10 years as a Commercial Lender for two separate national banks, Marshall and Ilsley Bank and BBVA Compass Bank.  During this time, Mr. Rice concentrated on the Medical market and obtained many medical offices and hospitals as clients.  Mr. Rice worked with several large non-profit hospital systems with financial consulting and support. During his banking career, Mr. Rice also obtained a degree in Business Finance.

Today, Mr. Rice is enjoying his first love of business, the Health Care Technology sector and is considered an expert in HITECH consulting and management.  Mr. Rice has been working with HITECH for over 2 years.

Michael H. Kreitzer – Director of Professional Services

For the past 35 years, Mr. Kreitzer has focused on strategic information systems issues, interim IS management, directing large system implementations, Regional Health Information Organizations (HIEs/RHIOs), EMR selection and implementations, ARRA/HITECH readiness
assessments and actualizations, and large workflow re-design projects. His experiences include:

• Managing a number of HITECH meaningful use assessment and remediation engagements
• Serving as CIO and interim/outsourced CIO; and RHIO Program Director
• Developing and implementing EMR strategies for large IDNs; selected and implemented physician EMRs
• Developing software for a major software vendor as well as a consultant with national responsibilities
• Managing large consulting practices; and large high-risk implementations
• Implementing/Converting full-scope healthcare information systems, as well as limited-scope financial and clinical systems provided by all of the major vendors as well as niche vendors
• Authoring a number of pragmatic methodologies for systems selection, project management office, IT Governance, and process improvement

Professional Qualifications:
Mr. Kreitzer founded his own consulting firm in 2000 to continue his 30-year history of serving the healthcare industry. The firm puts focus on the full range of healthcare information management and process re-design challenges of today’s large providers. Recent consulting assignments that have been performed include: interim I/S director; interim RHIO program director; information systems strategic and tactical planning, information systems selection; system vendor contract negotiations; I/S department reorganization; I/S cost allocation analysis; I/S best practices; process re-design; system implementation management, and HIPAA assessments.

Mr. Kreitzer leads a close network of individuals and niche organizations with broad and deep skills in healthcare operations and technologies including nursing operations and informatics, physicians, physician informatics, high technologists, and revenue cycle/ HIM consultants. Prior to forming his Firm, Mr. Kreitzer was the Partner-In-Charge of the Healthcare Information Management Consulting Practice of a Midwest audit and consulting firm. When it was sold to a division of a major financial services company, he was responsible for the practices of five regional offices. Additionally, he led the group’s patient revenue cycle process redesign, business operations improvements, best practices, and receivables reduction engagements. Clients ranged in size from a 100-bed community hospital to a six-hospital IDN.

Prior to this work, Mr. Kreitzer was with two “Big 6” consulting firms for 16 years. In his last position, he was one of three national healthcare directors, selling and managing the largest engagements. Prior to “Big 6”, he was Director of Applications (promoted to CIO) for two hospitals; CIO for four large healthcare providers, including a teaching hospital and an academic medical center; software developer for a leading vendor; and Vice President of a consulting firm responsible for implementing healthcare information systems.

Apex Health Systems is proud to be able to offer the services of Mr. Kreitzer and his team of consultants.

Nick Wilcox- Chief Technology Consultant

For the last 25 years, Mr. Wilcox has provided specialized technical support in the clinical environment with great success in being the Physicians technology facilitator.  Originally a Senior Diagnostic Imaging Equipment Specialist in MRI, Nuclear Medicine, CT, Linear Accelerators and Cyclotron at various VA Medical Centers, Mr. Wilcox has parlayed his knowledge into consulting services.  His consulting and project management roles include;

• Principal Consultant with Dell/Perot Systems International Healthcare in the Middle East specializing in Radiology and Imaging.
• Consultant to COS and DOR at a large healthcare facility, for a complete digital Mammography solution which included all aspects from requirements, purchase, systems design and integration, installation and post installation support.
• 10 years specializing in PACS, Enterprise Voice Recognition Systems, RIS Management, Mammography Patient Tracking systems, Nuclear Medicine Information Systems, Specialized Image Software (3D), and Orthopedics Templating in large facilities with teaching affiliations with University of Minnesota and the University of Texas Health and Science Center.
•  Key Project Player large enterprise Commercial PACS and Voice Recognition solution covering 5 Midwest states.
• Local Project Manager for VA/DOD EMR/Imaging sharing initiative.
• Y2K project Manager.
• Extensive diagnostic equipment serial interfacing to EMR starting with Pulmonary, and Lab systems in the mid 1990’s continuing today to DICOM and HL7.

His skills include HL7, DICOM, Networking, systems integration, data migration, Project Management, Technology and Vendor vetting, high level of communication with all staff from C level to Medical Technologist.

He has acquired factory training with GE Medical Systems for CT and MRI, Philips for CT, Angio and Nuclear Medicine (ADAC), BRIT PACS, Fuji Synapse PACS, Philips Talk, Nuance Powerscribe, Magview Mammography Patient Tracking and Reporting and many other systems.  Mr. Wilcox acquired his technical degree from Colorado Technical University.

Mr. Wilcox has a proven track record of developing and maintaining strong and productive relationships throughout the Healthcare environment to include; Cardiology, Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Pulmonary, General Medicine, ER, Nuclear Medicine, Radiology, Interventional Radiology, and Healthcare Executive Staff.  This exceptional skill combined with his extensive knowledge and experience has proven to be key project success.