Health care IT firm nabs new exec

SARASOTA — Kenda West, a former IT executive with Johns Hopkins Medicine, was named chief operating officer at Voalte, a mobile health care firm that started in 2009 and now has more than 100 employees.

West will oversee operations and finance and support the executive staff at Sarasota-based Voalte, which stands for voice, alarm and text. Voalte developed technology that allows nurses and hospital employees to communicate with each other over smartphones. The firm doesn't disclose revenues, though in previous interviews executives have said annual sales exceed $10 million.

West has more than three decades of IT and business development experience in the health care industry. She was most recently the chief information officer for the community division at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. She has also worked in executive positions at MedStar Health in Washington, D.C., and Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury, Md., in addition to consulting and leadership roles at McKesson and Booz Allen & Hamilton.

“We're excited to have Kenda's experience, expertise and vision to help lead the growth of Voalte,” Voalte founder and President Trey Lauderdale says in the release. “Whether overseeing a 'big bang' electronic medical records implementation at two Johns Hopkins hospitals on the same day or building a specialty pharmaceutical business unit at McKesson, Kenda's career achievements are remarkable. She is a perfect fit for a company that is changing the way health care providers communicate.” 

West joins Voalte during a transformative period. (http://www.businessobserverfl.com/section/detail/healthy-returns/) The firm is in the process of doubling its payroll this year, from 70 to 130 employees, and it recently moved into a larger office, on Fruitville Road, west of Interstate 75. Voalte also recently hired four other executives, including Don Fletcher, who previously helped launch Google's telecommunication service.

“Voalte has so many incredible opportunities to make a difference in one of the most critical parts of health care - caregiver communication,” says West in the statement. “As Voalte continues to make that process easier, faster and safer, we can continue to make a significant contribution to a complex healthcare landscape.”