CaringBridge Announces New Additions to Board of Directors
Eagan, Minn. – (Sept. 8, 2020) – To achieve its vision of a world where no one goes through a health journey alone, CaringBridge continuously grows its board to include new members who dedicate their time, talent and treasure. The CaringBridge team welcomes Paurvi Bhatt, Kevin O’Leary, Cris Ross, Andy Thieman and Solome Tibebu as the newest additions to the board.
“We feel honored to have these five individuals joining our board,” said Liwanag Ojala, CEO of CaringBridge. “They all bring such a strong set of skills to the table and will contribute greatly to the vision and mission of CaringBridge.”
Meet the New Board Members
Following are highlights of key experiences and career accomplishments that will inform the work and contributions of the new board members:
- Paurvi Bhatt, Vice President, Medtronic Philanthropy; President, Medtronic Foundation
Paurvi is a working daughter and champion for caregivers around the world. As president of the Medtronic Foundation and vice president of Medtronic Philanthropy, Paurvi is committed to expanding access to healthcare in underserved communities and engaging with community partners making the world a healthier place, worldwide. Before her work at Medtronic and the Medtronic Foundation, she served in global health roles for Levi Strauss & Company and CSR roles at Abbott. Paurvi has also led economics and HIV/AIDS portfolios at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and served as deputy director of health for the international humanitarian agency CARE. She serves on several Boards, including the Rosalyn Carter Institute on Caregiving and Global Health Council.
O’Leary describes himself as a “Minnesotan tinkering in new ideas in healthcare that connect new care models, payment models and technologies.” Kevin currently advises healthcare organizations that are building new care delivery models, in addition to writing a popular weekly newsletter on healthcare innovation. He previously led innovation for Allina Health, a not-for-profit health care system that owns or operates 13 hospitals and more than 90 clinics in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
- Cris Ross, Chief Information Officer, Mayo Clinic
As Chief Information Officer and survivor of colorectal cancer, Ross looks at the integration of healthcare and technology from both a professional and personal perspective. Ross also serves on the boards of the nonprofit Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, Inc. (HIMSS) and virtual care company Zipnosis.
- Andy Thieman, VP Marketing and Brand Strategy, NorthRock Partners
Cancer free since 2011, Thieman launched the nonprofit Blood + Sweat + Chemo to demystify testicular cancer. He also supports the work of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Minnesota Off-Road Cyclist. Thieman brings to CaringBridge an ability to increase brand recognition at a global level.
- Solome Tibebu, CEO, Cephalo Health
Tibebu is a behavioral health strategist and investor passionate about frontier technologies and solutions transforming mental health, equity and access. Solome’s work has spanned behavioral health and human service consulting, venture capital, corporate development and various operating roles at behavioral health software companies large and small. She also serves as a board member or adviser to the Telosity mental health tech fund, Hopelab, Made of Millions and other digital health companies.
To learn more about the new additions to the CaringBridge board, visit the CaringBridge website.
About CaringBridge
CaringBridge is a nonprofit social network that helps people connect with friends and family during a health journey. Founded in Eagan, Minn. in 1997 by Sona Mehring, CaringBridge has made it simple and safe to offer or ask for support when it’s needed most. With more than 300,000 active daily users—CaringBridge offers simple tools for patients and their caregivers to share health updates and rally their community’s support. A health journey of any kind—diagnosis, injury, medical or behavioral illness, pregnancy complications or other experiences—is difficult to endure alone. CaringBridge is here to ensure that no one goes through a health journey alone. Learn more at CaringBridge.org.
Media Contact:
Beth Betcher
651-789-3375