Michael Schafer
ProtoHIT Chairman of the Board

Michael Schafer is the Managing Director for NMCC. Michael is an experienced equity investor, fundraiser and manager with exceptional skills and energy. He previously served as General Partner and Principal with the venture capital firm of Tullis-Dickerson & Company (Greenwich, Connecticut). While at Tullis-Dickerson, Michael established and directed the firm’s New Mexico operations, including sourcing, negotiating and managing investments in New Mexico and California. His long-standing contacts in the New Mexico and southwestern US business communities augment his extensive private equity business relationships.

Michael left Tullis-Dickerson in 2002 to become the Founder, President and Managing General Partner of Ventures UNC, the venture capital arm of the $1.4 billion asset management group of the University of North Carolina’s endowment. His previous experience includes directing business development activities at SunPharm and founding/managing The Woodlands Venture Partners.

As Managing Director of NMCC’s Fund I, Michael leads the Fund’s investment activities, directs portfolio company support, interfaces with the Fund’s limited partners, supervises the staff activities and directs the day-to-day operations of the Fund. He also assists in NMCC’s overall strategic growth.

Michael received his BS at Davidson College and his MBA at University of Michigan.

Phillip Wagner, MD
Senior Medical Advisor

The original developer of the ProtoHIT software, Dr. Wagner is a graduate of UCSF, having received the Legge Award for original research in Occupational Medicine in 1974. He is considered a pioneer in the field of quality measurement and electronic data connectivity between employer, carrier, and provider, having developed the first prospective protocol system to define and monitor quality in health care delivery. He is board certified in Occupational Medicine, and Family Practice. In July 1998, Dr Wagner was appointed to the staff of UCSF as an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine in Occupational and Environmental Medicine. He has toured as a lecturer for the State of California Industrial Medical Council on the role of the Primary Treating Physician in worker’s compensation.

Currently, Dr. Wagner is Assistant Professor of Occupational Medicine at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine and a physician at the Veterans Administration.

Dinesh Patel, PhD
ProtoHIT Advisor

Dr. Dinesh Patel is considered by many to be the father of biotechnology and pharmaceuticals in the Rocky Mountain region.

Dr. Patel is a founding managing director of vSpring Capital. Prior to vSpring, Dr. Patel was an active angel investor in over 20 biotech and technology companies. From 1985 – 1999 Dr. Patel served as Co-Founder, Chairman of The Board of Directors and President & CEO of TheraTech, Inc., a biotechnology company which he took public and eventually sold to Watson Pharmaceuticals.  From 1999 to 2004 he was the Founder, Chairman, President & CEO of Ashni Naturaceuticals, Inc., a company that specializes in the research, development and marketing of clinically tested and patent-protected naturaceutical products.  In 1999, Dr. Patel co-founded and was the Chairman of Salus Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on the research and development of nucleic acid-based therapeutics, including antisense and gene therapy drugs.  He currently holds 15 US Patents and Foreign Counterparts.

Dr. Patel serves on several non-profit boards, and has won numerous awards including; 2006 Utah Technology Council Hall of Fame Inductee, 2006 Ellis Island Medal of Honor, US Small Business Administration’s Business Achiever Award, Scientific and Technology Award (State of Utah), Entrepreneur of the Year Award (Mountain West Venture Group) and Scientific and Technology Development Pioneer of Progress Award. He is also a charter member of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE). He is the Chairman of the USTAR Governing Authority board.

Born and raised in Zambia, Africa, Dr. Patel received his bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy at Gujarat University located in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, his master’s degree from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and his Ph.D. in Physical Pharmacy from the University of Michigan.

Mark Calkins
ProtoHIT Advisor

“It’s understandable why the industry is so focused on healthcare cost control. But more important is the focus on improving patient treatment while at the same time reducing costs. Taking healthcare to a new level is what our primary objective needs to be.”

Mark has worked in the information technology industry for over 30 years. He also served as the business development vice president at ChannelPoint, which developed systems to help health insurance companies automate part of their business.