About MedShield Ascend
MedShield Ascend is dedicated to enhancing the health and well-being of young adults, empowering them to take charge of their health during this transformative period.
Our Founders' Story
The vision for MedShield Ascend emerged in the Fall of 2019 when Dr. Bernard Kruger's daughter encountered challenges within the university health system. The COVID-19 pandemic further reshaped the healthcare landscape, prompting Dr. Kruger to collaborate with business partner Geoffrey Kanter to bring MedShield Ascend to life. Drawing from her informatics background and the challenges she faced clinically, Dr. Emily Kuo began collaborating with Dr. Kruger on the model for MedShield Ascend in September of 2023.
Our Mission
MedShield Ascend's mission is to provide young adults with personalized, high-quality, timely medical services supported by innovative digital technology and 24/7 access to licensed physicians. This support aids young adults in their transition from adolescence to independent adulthood, offering parents peace of mind knowing their young adult's health is in caring hands.
Our Investors
If you are interested in joining our mission to improve the health of young adults and would like to consider investing in MedShield Ascend, please send an email to investors@medshieldascend.com
Founders
Bernard Kruger, MD
A renowned physician in New York City with over 50 years of experience, Dr. Kruger is a pioneer of concierge medicine and the founder of Sollis Health. He serves on the New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Hospital faculty and is a medical advisor to Atria. Dr. Kruger earned his medical degree from the University of Colorado School of Medicine and has a rich medical service history, including two Peace Corps tours.
Emily Kuo, MD
Dr. Kuo is committed to leveraging technology to improve patient access to care. She trained in Emergency Medicine at New York Medical College and pursued further training in Preventive Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital. Board-certified and licensed to practice outpatient medicine for all age groups, Dr. Kuo is currently on the New York University Grossman School of Medicine faculty.
Geoffrey Kanter
Managing Partner of Kanter Ventures, Mr. Kanter has over 25 years of experience founding, operating, and investing in healthcare, media, marketing services, and consumer products/services businesses. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA in Economics from Duke University.
Leadership Team
Christina O’Reilly
CEO
Christina is a seasoned healthcare executive with over 20 years of experience in digital health, healthcare innovation, and business transformation. Prior to joining MedShield Ascend as CEO, Christina served as Chief Operating Officer of Primasun, a joint venture between ResMed and Verily (an Alphabet company). Christina has also held leadership roles at Blue Shield of California, PresenceLearning, and Kaiser Permanente. Christina is a former Deloitte consultant and a graduate of the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.
J. Scott Bomann, DO, FACEP, FACEM
Medical Leadership
Dr. Scott Bomann is a highly experienced emergency physician who is board-certified in the United States, New Zealand, and Australia. He completed his Emergency Medicine training at Lincoln Hospital and his ultrasound fellowship at Yale University School of Medicine. In 2011, Dr. Bomann was invited to relocate to New Zealand to establish foundational ultrasound education programs for Emergency Medicine throughout the country. He has dozens of peer-reviewed publications advancing both Emergency Medicine and ultrasound practices. Recently returning to the U.S., Dr. Bomann divides his time between a busy inner-city emergency department and building out MedShield Ascend’s infrastructure. A longtime advocate for telehealth, he was an early investor in a booming Australian emergency telehealth company and has served as a telehealth physician in New Zealand and Australia.
Jamila Battle, MD
Medical Leadership
Jamila Battle, MD, is a board-certified family physician with expertise in student health, preventive care, and sleep medicine. Licensed across 38 states, she provides clinical leadership and oversight for concierge telemedicine services tailored to the unique needs of young people. At MedShield Ascend, she is dedicated to helping young people achieve healthier lives with personalized, whole-person support wherever they live, learn, and grow. Dr. Battle holds a B.S. from Duke University and received her medical degree from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. Dr. Battle completed her residency at the University of Michigan.
Nicholas Caputo, MD, M. Sc., F.A.C.E.P., F.A.A.E.M., LTC (MC, USAR)
Medical Leadership
Dr. Caputo serves as Associate Chief of the Department of Emergency Medicine at NYC Health and Hospitals, Lincoln Medical Center. He is board certified in emergency medicine and is an Associate Professor of Clinical Emergency Medicine at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University. He is also an attending emergency physician at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital / Columbia University Irving Medical Center. In addition to his private sector accomplishments, Dr. Caputo serves as a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army Reserve.
Brad Lawson
Head of Sales and Business Development
Brad is a dynamic healthcare executive with over 20 years of experience in commercialization, sales leadership, and market strategy across the healthcare ecosystem. Prior to founding his consulting practice, Brad served as Chief Commercial Officer at Primasun, where he led commercial strategy and helped drive the company’s successful acquisition by ResMed. Brad has also held leadership roles at Roche Diagnostics and Philips Healthcare, and specializes in guiding digital health startups and global organizations through market entry, growth, and achieving product-market fit.
Staci Harris
Head of Operations
Staci Harris is a healthcare operations and people leader with over 20 years of experience in operations, sales support, project management, and systems across diverse sectors. Her background includes leadership roles at Blue Shield of California and Target Stores. She is skilled in leading teams and managing analytical and process improvement efforts. Staci holds a BS in Business Administration with concentrations in Production & Operations Management and Management Information Systems from California State University, Chico.
Patrick A. Flynn, MD
Specialist and Medical Advisor
An Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine and Associate Attending Pediatrician at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. Dr. Flynn founded Avalon Pediatric Cardiology in 2024 to expand access to pediatric cardiology care in Manhattan. He has been recognized as a top doctor in the New York Metropolitan Area since 2008 and received the Physician of the Year award at New York Presbyterian in 2016.
David Liu
Business Advisor
David Liu is an experienced healthcare leader who has guided operations innovation and transformation for more than 20 years. In executive roles at DaVita, Landmark Health, and ChenMed, David led national expansion into new geographies, accelerating membership growth and optimizing clinical and central operations. As COO, he led the Nevada Medical Group at Intermountain Health to unprecedented growth, creating access for older adults in underserved areas while also earning gold-medal awards in the “Best of Las Vegas” categories of Senior-Focused Care and Women’s Health. David is a volunteer hockey coach and is committed to philanthropy and community leadership. David holds a BA from Princeton University and an MBA from Yale School of Management.