EMERYVILLE, CA--(Marketwire - Dec 1, 2011) - Dr. Andrew Agwunobi, former Chief Executive of Providence Health Care in Spokane, WA, has joined Berkeley Research Group's Washington, DC office as a director in the firm's Hospital Performance Improvement practice. He previously served as Secretary of the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, President and Chief Executive Officer of Grady Health System in Atlanta, and President and Chief Executive Officer of South Fulton Hospital in Atlanta. He also served as Chief of the Main Pediatric Urgent-Care Department for Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates in Boston.

A board certified pediatrician, Dr. Agwunobi received a medical degree from the University of Jos in Nigeria and a Masters of Business Administration from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. In 2007, he was named one of the 50 Most Powerful Physician Executives by Modern Healthcare magazine.

In his role, Dr. Agwunobi will help lead BRG's Hospital Performance Improvement practice assisting hospitals, health systems, and academic medical centers improve their operational performance and value of services they provide to patients with a focus on redesigning clinical care delivery.

"We are thrilled to have Andrew join our Hospital Performance Improvement team," said David J. Teece, BRG Chairman and Principal Executive Officer. "He brings a unique perspective to advising providers on performance improvement, and is an ideal complement to our strong and fast-growing roster of hospital performance improvement consultants, clinicians, process engineers, economists, and academicians."

"BRG is quickly becoming one of the leaders in providing health care performance improvement solutions," said Dr. Agwunobi. "I look forward to helping providers thrive in a challenging reimbursement and changing regulatory environment."

About Berkeley Research Group, LLC

Berkeley Research Group, LLC (www.brg-expert.com) is a leading global expert services and consulting firm that provides authoritative studies, strategic advice, data analytics, regulatory and dispute support to Fortune 500 corporations, government agencies, major law firms, and regulatory bodies around the world. BRG experts and consultants combine intellectual rigor with practical, real-world experience and an in-depth understanding of industries and markets. Their expertise spans economics and finance, data analytics and statistics, and public policy in many of the major sectors of our economy including health care, finance, banking, information technology, energy, construction, and real estate. BRG is headquartered in Emeryville, CA, with 19 offices in the United States and London, UK.

BRG's Health Analytics practice provides clients with extensive health care industry expertise combined with data-driven, objective, and innovative solutions to their most complex problems. We have specialized and dedicated experience in health care policy, finance, care delivery and clinical economics, reimbursement, regulatory compliance, health data and data management, as well as investigations, litigation, and dispute resolution. Our team includes professionals with advanced degrees and certifications including PhDs, MBAs, CPAs, and CFEs, who have backgrounds in health care economics, information technology, management and administration, finance, accounting, government regulation and enforcement, and academia.