Jeff retired early due to complications arising from diabetes which was initially diagnosed in 1966. He has thrived with his diabetes through consistently advocating for his medical health-needs by assertively engaging all stakeholders in his health. Jeff is one of the first diabetics in the country to receive an insulin pump in 1984. Not allowing the disease to interfere with his quality of life Jeff also managed to receive his private pilot’s license (a lifelong dream) in 1993.

Jeff's 34 year career in healthcare began in 1978 as a respiratory therapist and cardiovascular technologist. Starting in the intensive care unit of a tertiary trauma center in California he eventually moved to New England in 1981 where he served as a division director of a 250 bed hospital and implemented a statewide cardio-pulmonary rehabilitation program that is still well known for its role in securing reimbursement for patients through Medicare. 

In 1997 Jeff published his frustrations regarding the incapacity of healthcare providers to collaboratively manage complex patients and decided to leave the clinical environment to join the lead software architect from Lotus Development Corporation along with a Rehabilitation Physician in the formation of a start-up venture in Boston Massachusetts. Together, they designed and patented one of the first web based chronic disease; shared care-plan management applications. Their company’s intellectual capital (CogniMed Incorporated) was sold to Active Health Management and then Aetna Healthcare in 2001.

Frustrated with his own struggles as a person with diabetes and the administrative work necessary to assure patients’ access to life saving therapies such as oxygen: Jeff and his wife Carol moved to NC in 2001 to work for a foundation headed by Mr. James Bernstein: noted for his innovative work with private physician communities to create locally managed community medical homes. Jeff consulted to NC Medicaid's Community Care of NC program through 2006 implementing a web-based case management system which is still in use today throughout the State to track the quality of care and integrate the care-teams of NC's most vulnerable citizens. He worked with the physician directors of CCNC to design and implement the physician quality reporting system across the State of NC.

Jeff continued his consulting work in health information technology and clinical integration of care teams in multiple demonstration projects throughout the US and NC. His projects included a project to reduce ER reliance by Anthem Blue Cross members through a shared reward contract with the CAFFP; Registry implementation coordinator for the HRSA Small Provider Quality Improvement Initiative and an interim CIO contract with a six clinic FQHC in North Carolina that experienced a poor integration of multiple electronic health record systems causing many operational inefficiencies.

Jeff attended the Los Angeles County Community College System where he earned his Respiratory Care Advanced Standing Degree and Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, New Hampshire where he earned a BS with concentration on organizational behavior and economics.