Health Catalyst on Tuesday announced that three healthcare veterans have joined as strategic advisors: Eric Topol, MD, Brent James, MD, and Timothy Zoph. 

Dale Sanders, President of Technology at Health Catalyst, called Topol “brilliant clinically and scientifically.” 

“You won’t find anyone in the world who vocally challenges the status quo of healthcare, for the benefit of clinicians, patients and their rights, more than Eric,” Sanders said. “He is also a pinnacle of creativity and insight on the use of technology and data to improve healthcare.”

[Also: Eric Topol draws line in sand: Patients own their medical data]

Topol is also Executive Vice President and Professor of Molecular Medicine at The Scripps Research Institute, and the founder and director of the Scripps Translational Science Institute in La Jolla, California, and before that, he ran the Cleveland Clinic heart program for 14 years. Also, Topol is the recipient of a $207 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to lead a part of the Precision Medicine Initiative.

Sanders also said that James, who recently left his position as the first chief quality officer of Intermountain Healthcare in Salt Lake City, is recognized around the world for advocacy and marked improvements in clinical care and cost reduction. 

“Much of what we advocate in Health Catalyst can be traced back to the teachings and concepts that Brent James has championed for years,” Sanders said. 

James, in fact, worked with Health Catalyst Executive Chairman David Burton, MD, for 10 years at Intermountain, the company said. 

And Sanders noted that he and Zoft worked as CIO partners for several years at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where Zoft was chief information officer until 2015 and was responsible for more than $1 billion in new projects.

“His influence, knowledge, mentorship and respect in the healthcare IT space is without peer,” Sanders said. “He’s also a digital business strategist, beyond healthcare, and grasped the importance of that before anyone in the industry.”

Dan Burton, CEO of Health Catalyst CEO Dan Burton said that “the cumulative effect of the strategic advice of these three industry giants will have a significant impact on the lives of the nearly 100 million patients that our clients serve across the United States.”

Twitter: @Bernie_HITN
Email the writer: bernie.monegain@himssmedia.com