Qliance Medical Management Names Ona Karasa Chief Operating Officer
New Role to Help Innovative Venture-Backed Health Care Group Expand
| Source: Qliance
SEATTLE, WA--(Marketwire - November 24, 2009) - Qliance Medical Management Inc., which operates
insurance-free direct primary care clinics -- also known as "direct medical
homes" -- in Washington State, today announced it has named Ona Karasa, 49,
to the new position of chief operating officer. Karasa was formerly
president of the Atlas Division of aQuantive, a digital media technology
company acquired by Microsoft in 2007.
"Ona has a proven track record streamlining and automating new business
models for exponential growth and her operational oversight will help
Qliance expand our growing direct primary care medical home model
nationally," said Norm Wu, president & CEO of Qliance Medical Management,
Inc. "Ona shares our vision at Qliance to deliver affordable, high-quality
health care to more Americans and we are delighted to welcome her to our
growing team."
Karasa brings 25 years of leadership experience in management in technology
to Qliance. During her four-year tenure at Atlas, she helped grow revenue
from $8 million to more than $100 million. Prior to aQuantive, she was
executive vice president and general manager of MSNBC.com and general
manager of www.saltlake2002.com and www.olympics.com. She has also held
numerous executive and technology positions for companies including Clarus
Corporation, Adobe, and Aldus.
"Qliance is one of the best health care solutions I've seen that actually
addresses the endemic challenges with today's health care system and I'm
excited to join their effort," said Karasa. "At this point in my career,
it's invigorating to be involved with a group that is helping transform
health care in a positive way, and that could ultimately save our country
billions of dollars currently being wasted on unnecessary health care
administration costs."
Karasa holds a master's in applied behavioral science with a concentration
in management consulting from Bastyr University and a bachelor's in biology
from Smith College in Massachusetts.
Qliance Medical Management was founded in 2006 and opened Qliance Medical
Group's first clinic in Seattle in 2007. In August, Qliance opened a second
clinic in Kent, Wash. and expects to open another in January 2010. In July,
Qliance announced it had completed a $4 million funding round, bringing its
total venture capital raised to $7.5 million.
About Qliance Medical Management
Qliance Medical Management was founded in 2006 and provides operating and
management services to Qliance Medical Group of Washington PC, which
operates clinics in Seattle and Kent, Wash. Qliance direct primary care
offers people of all ages and incomes unrestricted access to all types of
primary, preventive and chronic illness care for one monthly membership
fee, ranging between $39 and $79, depending on age. Qliance does not
exclude anyone for pre-existing conditions and offers unhurried same- and
next-day appointments 7 days per week. Through Qliance, patients and
employers are getting exceptional care and saving between 20 and 50 percent
on comprehensive health care costs when bundled with wrap-around insurance.
Qliance and its direct primary care model, which was pioneered by
co-founder Dr. Garrison Bliss in 1997, is backed by Second Avenue Partners
and Clear Fir Partners LP in Seattle and New Atlantic Ventures in Reston,
Va. and Cambridge, Mass. For more information, visit www.Qliance.com.