For Immediate Release
Contact: Tracy Hartman
thartman@aloftgroup.com
978-462-0002 x103

Beacon Partners Appoints New National Practice Director for Enterprise Information Assurance

Fernando Martinez, PhD, brings 10+ years of executive leadership, information assurance and IT security expertise

WEYMOUTH, MA – June 14, 2012 – Healthcare management consulting firm, Beacon Partners, is pleased to announce the appointment of Fernando Martinez, PhD, National Practice Director for Enterprise Information Assurance services. As a part of the Beacon Partners executive team, Mr. Martinez will lead the strategic advisory services for information assurance working with the leadership of healthcare organizations. 

Fernando brings more than ten years of experience working with health system executive teams and boards as Chief Information Officer and Chief Technology and Security Officer for several large health systems. Prior to joining Beacon Partners, Fernando was the Vice President and Chief Information Officer at the Jackson Health System in Miami, Florida. Over the course of his career, Fernando has worked in a variety of hospital environments, including academic, county hospitals and government, public sector healthcare, private non-profit, faith-based systems, and foreign territories and government. He is experienced in strategic planning, finance and budget management, and business analytics.

“Although HIPAA and HITECH are on everyone’s radar, there is a latent demand in healthcare for security and information assurance management. It’s often not a priority until consequences arise,” says Fernando Martinez, National Practice Director for Enterprise Information Assurance services at Beacon Partners. “I’m excited for the opportunity to assist healthcare organizations in addressing this critical need at a time when security incidents are an escalating threat to patients and organizations alike.”

Martinez, who was recently recognized as the 2012 Technology Executive of the Year for South Florida and in 2009 was named Information Security Executive of the Year for the Southeastern U.S., is a CHIME certified Healthcare CIO, holds top IT security and audit credentials and is HIMSS fellow.

“The addition of Fernando to the Beacon Partners team will allow us to provide an increased level of executive strategic advisory services to our clients,” says Ralph P. Fargnoli, Jr., President and CEO of Beacon Partners. “The security and management of patient information and organizational data is critical to the competitive advantage of healthcare organizations and their financial strength. We see information assurance becoming an even greater challenge for healthcare organizations as more patient information is shared across the healthcare continuum. Fernando’s expertise and passion for designing and applying sustainable models will help our clients manage risk and achieve critical security compliance milestones.”

About Beacon Partners
As one of the largest healthcare management consulting firms, Beacon Partners is chosen by organizations in the healthcare community to provide advisory services to improve overall operational, clinical and financial performance with the adoption of information technology. With their strategic approach and depth of experience, Beacon Partners is uniquely qualified to help organizations navigate the challenges in healthcare and optimize their potential to deliver the highest possible level of patient care. For more information, please visit http://www.beaconpartners.com