Asensus Surgical Appoints Two New Board Members

Asensus Surgical Inc., a medical device company that is digitizing the interface between the surgeon and the patient to pioneer a new era of Performance-Guided Surgery, has expanded its Board of Directors, appointing two new board members, Elizabeth Kwo, M.D., and Kevin Hobert, effective immediately.
 
“We are delighted to welcome two accomplished industry veterans to our Board of Directors, each of whom bring highly relevant and unique skills to the organization that complement our current leadership team in an impactful way,” said Paul LaViolette, board chairman. “Liz has a tremendous track record of bringing innovative healthcare technology to the market, and has a highly specialized expertise in leveraging predictive analytics and big data to improve patient outcomes through digital solutions, making her a perfect fit as we seek to revolutionize digital surgery. Kevin has extensive experience leading global technology businesses, and importantly was an integral part in the early development of innovative digital imaging technology that leveraged AI and proprietary algorithms. We look forward to tapping into their combined talents as we continue to work to drive the widespread commercial adoption of Senhance® Surgical System on a global scale.”
 
Kwo specializes in healthcare technology product development and medical management. She currently serves as the deputy chief clinical officer at Anthem Inc., a position she has held since December 2020. In that role, she is responsible for modernizing care management with predictive analytics and integrating clinical data to create an improved automated patient and provider experience that drives down total medical costs and increases access to care. Kwo served as staff vice president, Clinical Analytics and Products for Anthem from June 2020 to November 2020 and as medical director from November 2019 to May 2020. Prior to Anthem, Kwo co-founded and served as CEO of the telemedicine company InfiniteMD from 2015 to 2019. She previously worked in management roles at Medtronic plc, American Well Corporation, and founded multiple venture-backed companies in healthcare while continuing her academic appointment at Harvard Medical School as a faculty lecturer, a position she continues to hold.

Kwo earned her bachelor of arts degree in human biology from Stanford University, a medical degree from Harvard Medical School, an MBA from Harvard Business School, and an MPH from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She completed her residency in preventive care at Harvard Preventive Care and is board certified in preventive care and occupational medicine. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Flexion Therapeutics Inc., a biopharmaceutical company. From 2004 to 2005, she served as a Fullbright Fellow in Taiwan.
 
“Asensus has made remarkable progress expanding their portfolio and bringing transformative technology to surgeons,” said Kwo. “The opportunity to address underserved areas of surgery around the world with this unique approach excites me, and I am pleased to be working with such a dedicated leadership team who believe in the vision of performance-guided surgery.”
 
Hobert has decades of medical technology leadership experience as well as expertise in transaction advisory and acquisition integration. Hobert currently serves as the principal of Beaver Lake Advisors LLC, a consulting firm formed in September 2018 to provide industry and transaction advisory services to private equity funds. From May 2007 to August 2018, Hobert served as CEO of Carestream Health Inc., a worldwide provider of medical imaging systems, X-ray imaging systems for non-destructive testing, and precision contract coating services for a wide range of industrial, medical, electronic and other applications. Prior to May 2007, Hobert served in a variety of management positions for Kodak Health Group, a division of Eastman Kodak Company, and GE Medical Systems Inc. (now GE Healthcare Inc.).

Hobert earned his bachelor of science degree in physics from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
 
“I am thrilled to join the Asensus Surgical Board of Directors at such an important time for the company,” said Hobert. “The Senhance Surgical System is a compelling and powerful tool to improve patient outcomes. I look forward to using my past experience to help Asensus take advantage of the massive opportunity that exists for Senhance.”
 
Asensus Surgical Inc. is digitizing the interface between the surgeon and patient to pioneer a new era of performance-guided surgery by unlocking clinical intelligence for surgeons to enable consistently superior outcomes and a new standard of surgery. This builds upon the foundation of digital laparoscopy with the Senhance Surgical System powered by the Intelligent Surgical Unit (ISU) to increase surgeon control and reduce surgical variability. With the addition of machine vision, augmented intelligence, and deep learning capabilities throughout the surgical experience, the company intends to holistically address the current clinical, cognitive and economic shortcomings that drive surgical outcomes and value-based healthcare.