Ventra Health Appoints Noted Physician as Strategic Adviser for Emergency Medicine

Dallas-based Ventra Health, a business solutions provider for facility-based physicians, has appointed James L. Shoemaker Jr., MD FACEP, as a strategic adviser for emergency medicine, focused on reimbursement advocacy.

Shoemaker joins a team led by Darshan Patel, a respected revenue cycle management executive.

“I’m delighted to welcome Dr. Shoemaker to Ventra as we continue to invest in Emergency Medicine and deliver white-glove service to our clients. Emergency physicians face continuous pressures as costs rise and payment structures are redefined,” Ventra CEO Steven Huddleston said in a statement. “His advocacy for fair compensation will help ensure that physician voices are amplified when both governmental and third-party payers enact future reimbursement guidelines.”

A distinguished Emergency Medicine physician, Shoemaker has more than 25 years of clinical experience.

He’s also a noted government adviser who has spent decades shaping physician reimbursement policy and legislation at both the federal and state levels. He serves as director of quality at Elite Emergency Physicians Inc. in Elkhart, Indiana, and will continue to practice medicine alongside his new role at Ventra.

On the board of American College of Emergency Physicians

Shoemaker is on the board of American College of Emergency Physicians, a leading advocate for emergency physicians, their patients, and the public, where he also serves as a fellow and vice president of membership.

In 2019, he was selected as one of the inaugural David McKenzie ACEP reimbursement fellows, an honor that allowed him to complete an 18-month in-depth program covering all aspects of reimbursement from the micro to the macro level.

He is also an appointed member of the RUC (The American Medical Association Specialty Society Relative Value Scale Update) committee of Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which works to help set Medicare reimbursement rates for physicians.

“This is a time of enormous disruption in the medical payments industry, and Ventra understands that only when doctors feel whole and supported can they continue to provide the excellent care that patients and communities expect and deserve,” Shoemaker said in a statement. “I believe in Ventra’s vision of partnering with physicians to solve complex business issues while delivering exceptional client service, and I am eager to contribute to the strong team culture.”

Ventra, which supports more than 300 emergency medicine locations across 35 states, is a portfolio company of Varsity Healthcare Partners, a leading healthcare-focused private equity firm.