Medsphere Appoints Michael J. Doyle as New Chief Executive Officer

ALISO VIEJO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Medsphere Systems Corporation, the leading provider of professional open source-based electronic health record (EHR) systems and services, today announced that Michael J. Doyle has joined the company as President and Chief Executive Officer. The experienced healthcare IT executive succeeds Dr. Kenneth W. Kizer, Medsphere CEO since December 2005, who will remain with the company as Chairman, a position he has held since the company was founded in February 2002.

Doyle has more than 20 years of experience with healthcare and information technology, including experience in growing a young company, evaluating mergers and acquisitions, and managing an initial public offering (IPO). He previously served as President and CEO of Advantedge Healthcare Solutions, a New York-based Software as a Service (SaaS) outsourced physician-billing company backed by private equity investors. From 2000 to 2004, he served as Chairman and CEO of Salesnet, one of three pioneering global enterprise software providers that established the SaaS customer relationship market.

Earlier in his career, Doyle founded and served as CEO of The Standish Care Company, a pioneer in the assisted living movement in the U.S. There he led a successful 1992 IPO that was the first in the industry.

“This is a crucial period in the development of Medsphere, and the board has every confidence that Mike understands both the challenges we face and the goals we can attain,” said Larry Augustin, a Medsphere board member and key participant in the CEO search. “That blend of realism and vision convinced us that he could lead Medsphere in the next stage of development.”

“What attracted me to Medsphere was the opportunity to revolutionize healthcare IT using an open source platform,” Doyle said. “Adapting the VistA platform to create OpenVista allows the nation’s community and teaching hospitals to possess an affordable, world-class, proven clinical information system that eliminates paper records, improves patient outcomes, and allows clinicians to treat patients in a more holistic and informed manner.

“Equally important, OpenVista allows hospitals and clinics to escape vendor lock and choose IT vendors that deliver value to the institution. There is no doubt in my mind that Medsphere will reduce the cost of healthcare in the U.S. while improving the quality of care and reducing medical errors.”

Medsphere has already achieved significant milestones in establishing the OpenVista platform as the standard for commercial open source-based EHR platforms. Twenty-two months after assuming the CEO position, Kizer leaves this role with the company having successfully completed several installations of OpenVista with several more in progress. Medsphere also has established development goals and key internal processes, a robust sales pipeline, expanding visibility, and a growing reputation for enhancing the healthcare IT environment.

“I was pleased to step into the management of the company at a critical time and to have navigated it through a difficult period. Mike’s enthusiastic support for open source and his particular experience growing companies are what Medsphere needs now,” Kizer said. “Medsphere is in a solid and stable position right now, and the kinds of challenges we will next encounter are those that Mike has dealt with previously. I am highly confident he will be successful.

“I am as enthusiastic about OpenVista and open source as I’ve ever been,” Kizer added, “and as Chairman I have the opportunity to continue my association with a company and philosophy that I believe will profoundly change the way medicine is practiced in the twenty-first century. Mike shares that vision and the conviction that OpenVista will be the primary standard-bearer in open source healthcare IT.”

About Medsphere Systems Corporation

Medsphere is the leading provider of professional open source technology for the healthcare industry. The company is revolutionizing healthcare by delivering commercially supported software based on the proven VistA electronic health record developed by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Under the brand name of OpenVista®, Medsphere offers a portfolio of products and professional services for hospitals, clinics and integrated delivery networks. The company addresses the capital constraints of the healthcare industry through an innovative subscription based pricing model. Medsphere's experienced team of healthcare technology professionals and unique suite of rapid implementation tools deliver unprecedented time to value recognition. For more information, visit http://www.medsphere.com.