Leadership
Sharon Hicks
President, Chief Executive Officer
Ms. Hicks has worked in the behavioral health field for over 20 years. Holding both an MSW and an MBA, Ms. Hicks began her career as a clinician and moved on to a successful tenure as Clinical Administrator of Ambulatory & Emergency Services for the prestigious Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic. Ms. Hicks was then named the Chief Operating Officer of Community Care Behavioral Health, a behavioral health managed care Medicaid company serving a number of Pennsylvania counties. Because of her outstanding record in system implementation from both the provider and managed care perspectives, Ms. Hicks was selected as the Chief Executive Officer of Askesis Development Group, Inc. in May 2002.
Robert Teitt
Vice President of Technology and Business Development
With nearly 25 years of healthcare information technology experience, Mr. Teitt's responsibilities focus on forging strategic relationships to enhance Askesis' ability to offer software that leverages industry trends and research. He has worked within the UPMC (www.upmc.com) for 20 years. Highlights of his career include serving as the Director of Information Systems for two major divisions: Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, a national leader in providing research-based care and treatment of mental health and addictive disorders; and Community Care Behavioral Health, a public-sector behavioral health managed care company serving consumers throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Prior to joining the UPMC, he worked for the healthcare division of Andersen Consulting (now Accenture), involved in vendor selection and system implementation projects for community hospitals and large academic medical centers. Mr. Teitt holds a BS in Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh.
Beth Rotto
Vice President of Finance and Operations
With nearly 20 years of experience, Ms. Rotto provides a depth of knowledge in the ever-changing world of accounting, auditing, finance and operations for Askesis. Beth began her career in public accounting and transitioned to the industrial manufacturing sector where her focus was on the intricacies of cost accounting and capital budget preparation. She joined Askesis in 2002 as the Director of Finance and successfully managed the unique challenges of accounting for customizable/multiple deliverable software sales and was instrumental in implementing the current fiscal structure and policies of the company. In her current role as Vice President of Finance and Operations, she is responsible for the financial and operational aspects of the company as well as the overall client experience. Beth holds a BS in Accounting and Finance and an MBA with a specialty in Accounting, both from Robert Morris University.
Tom Ryan
Director of Software Development
Tom is responsible for leading software development efforts for Askesis’ products. Prior to joining Askesis, Tom had 20+ year’s experience at CA Technologies leading world-wide development teams in building, deploying, and supporting commercial application performance monitoring software. This background has given him extensive experience monitoring end user application performance of both client/server and web based applications as well as major application systems such as Exchange, SAP, PeopleSoft, and Lotus Notes. Tom holds a BS in Computer Science from the University of Pittsburgh.
Margaret H. Rush
Director of Customer Relations & Support
Margaret manages client service interactions with customers on a daily basis, including installations, implementations, customizations, and technical support services. She has worked within the UPMC for 24 years, first as an Applications Programmer at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, and then as a Systems Analyst in the Information Services Division before joining Askesis six years ago. Margaret holds a BS in Information Science and an MS in Health Information Systems, both from the University of Pittsburgh.
Stacey Cotton
Director of Sales & Marketing
As Director of Sales and Marketing, Ms. Cotton is responsible for leading the company's sales and marketing strategies and initiatives. Stacey joined Askesis in 2008 with over 20 years of experience in successfully directing sales and marketing teams centered on selling Practice Management and Electronic Health Records Software and providing consultative services to healthcare providers focused on increasing revenue and productivity. Prior to her start at Askesis, Stacey was Vice President of Sales and Marketing for NeoGen Screening.
Nicholas Carosella, M.D.
Physician Advisor
Nicholas Carosella, M.D. is the Associate Medical Director for Community Care Behavioral Health Organization and Staff Psychiatrist at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic.
Prior to joining UPMC, Dr. Carosella brings 23 years of behavioral health experience in multiple levels of leadership within healthcare organizations in Pennsylvania, Virginia and Maryland. He also participated in numerous research studies in the National Institutes of Health including: Clozapine in Schizophrenia, The Use of Deprenyl in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, Schizophrenia and Tourette's Syndrome Study in Twins Concordant or Discordant for the Disorder. He is a member of the American Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine, American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry and the American Academy of Neurology. Dr. Carosella's bibliography includes publications in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters, review articles and abstracts.
Dr. Carosella graduated magna cum laude at Duke University before earning his medical degree from the Medical College of Virginia in 1983. He then completed a psychiatry residency at the University of California Los Angeles (1984-86), and a neurology residency at the Medical College of Virginia (1986-88). He is Board Certified in Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Geriatric Psychiatry.