PEOPLE: Newsmakers

Surgeon Takes on Administrative Duties

If M. Michael Shabot is successful, the old joke about doctors’ lousy handwriting will be a thing of the past.

In his two-year term as newly elected chief of staff at Cedars-Sinai Medical Hospital in Los Angeles, Shabot will represent the Cedars’ medical staff in setting goals and care standards. It’s a role, he said, that’s “part organizer, part coordinator and part cheerleader” for more than 1,800 physicians.

Primary among the new initiatives is implementation of Patient Care Expert, a computer system that will replace doctors’ written orders for X-rays, prescriptions and lab tests. Shabot says that virtually every hand written order will be rendered obsolete on May 23, the day PCX goes live at Cedars. No administrative tweak, Shabot sees the upgrade as an opportunity to raise the hospital’s level of care. “It’s like tuning the performance of airplanes. You can fly the plane or you can fly it precisely,” he said.

He has targeted other areas as well, including monitoring the utilization of antibiotics to improve ordering of medications and ensuring that doses and allergies are properly taken into account for each patient.

In addition to administrative duties, Shabot will maintain his surgical schedule of 10 or 15 operations a month.

Shabot received his medical degree from University of Texas, Southwestern Medical School in 1970. He completed an internship at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas and a residency in General Surgery at Harbor/UCLA Medical Center in Torrance. He joined the staff at Harbor/UCLA in 1978 where he remained until moving to Cedars in 1982. Shabot also serves as director of Cedars’ surgical intensive care unit. “I don’t get much sleep,” he said. “But then again I never have.”

He lives in Westwood and is married with two children.

Conor Dougherty

Advertising & P.R.

Dynamics Direct Inc., a rich media and email marketing firm in Los Angeles, has named Peter Goldman vice president of sales and marketing. He joined the firm from MessageMedia, where he served as vice president of sales.

Content Project, a technology-based advertising agency, named Lauren Kay senior vice president of sales and marketing. She will be responsible for the corporate marketing efforts and will also spearhead new business development. Kay most recently was vice president of marketing with Internet advertising company L90.

Autonomy, an entertainment industry branding and marketing company, named Barbara Rider head of production. Rider will oversee all aspects of Autonomy’s production on behalf of broadcast, cable, print, music and new media clients. Prior to joining the firm, Rider was a project manager for several Web-based online education and training companies.

Rogers & Associates, a public relations firm in Los Angeles, has hired Samantha Sackin as senior vice president in charge of the agency’s consumer marketing group. She focuses on brand building, new product launches and youth and teen marketing. Sackin previously was at Fleishman-Hillard where she was a senior vice president, managing the marketing communications practice.

Banking & Finance

Brad McCoy has been named executive vice president, community banking at First Federal Bank of California. He will be responsible for the growth and retention of the bank’s middle market client base. Most recently, McCoy was senior vice president and Southern California Division Manager of Wells Fargo’s Business Banking Group.

Entertainment

Mocean, a Venice-based company that designs motion graphics for the theatrical, broadcast and commercial industries, has named Kevin Aratari as its new managing director. He will run all business operations, including new business development, production, operations and marketing. Prior to joining Mocean, Aratari was vice president and head of production at Autonomy, an entertainment branding and production firm.

Sean Gallagher has been named vice president of business and legal affairs at Granada Entertainment, the Los Angeles-based production arm of British Media company Granada Plc. He will supervise the business and legal aspects of all Granada Entertainment USA’s development and production, including the negotiation of license fees as well as handling corporate matters.

Dan Groya has been named national director for contracts at the Screen Actors Guild in Los Angeles. He will work with all Guild contract areas to track claims and then develop a system to deliver rulings, interpretations and legal precedents to contract staff.

Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment announced the alignment of SoapCity, Screenblast and its wireless and platform service units to form the digital networks division, which will be headed by senior vice president Patrick Kennedy. Kennedy joined SPDE as senior vice president in 2000. He previously was a vice president of corporate development for Sony Pictures Entertainment. Tim Chambers has been promoted to senior vice president, advanced platforms at SPDE. Brian Lakamp has joined the organization as senior vice president, broadband services; responsible for leading the division’s development and implementation of digital distribution services.

Tom McGrath has been named president of Viacom Entertainment Group’s newly formed Paramount Enterprises in Los Angeles. He will maintain his position as executive vice president of the Viacom Entertainment Group, and also head up Paramount Enterprises, comprised of Paramount Parks, Famous Players Inc., United Cinema’s International, Famous Music Publishing, Consumer Products and Paramount Digital Entertainment. McGrath has been executive vice president of Viacom’s Entertainment Group since 1994.

Tony Rodriguez has been promoted to vice president of sales operations for the motion picture group of Paramount Pictures. He will be responsible for handling all financial budgeting and day-to-day sales operations. Rodriguez previously served as executive director of sales operations, a position he held since 1986.

Brandon “Randy” Phillips has joined Anschutz Entertainment Group as chief executive of AEG Live. He will oversee the day-to-day operation and strategic planning and development of all AEG live entertainment properties including AEG Concerts, Goldenvoice and Spring Communications. Most recently, Phillips served as chief executive of Phillips Digital Media, an independent consulting and management firm.

David Stainton has been promoted to president, Walt Disney Television Animation in Burbank. He will be responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations for the division’s animated television series and specials, Disney video premieres and its annual theatrical release. Stainton joined the Walt Disney Co. in 1989 and most recently served as executive vice president, Walt Disney Television Animation.

Health Care

Health Net Inc. has named Robert D. Irwin senior vice president and chief information officer. He is responsible for all of the company’s information technology and information systems. Most recently, Irwin worked at Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. where he served as chief operating officer of the information technology group.

Bob Mitchell has joined Herbalife International Inc.’s executive management team as vice president of Internet business development. He is relocating to Los Angeles from New Jersey, where he was president of RSMedia Partners LLC.

James G. Terwilliger has joined USC University Hospital as chief operating officer and will supervise the operational aspects of the medical center. Terwilliger previously served as associate director of the UCLA Hospital System and vice provost for the UCLA School of Medicine. Foster W. Mobley has joined the hospital as associate administrator, department of human resources, overseeing departmental operations. Prior to joining USCUH, Mobley served as co-founder and senior partner of the Legacy Alliance Inc., a human resources consulting firm.

PMI Delta Dental Health Plan, the dental HMO affiliate of Delta Dental Plan, has promoted Kathleen Vanuka to vice president of underwriting. She will oversee underwriting functions for PMI’s DeltaCare dental HMO programs. A seven-year employee of PMI, Vanuka previously served as director of underwriting.

Insurance

Marion Perkins will join Western Security Surplus Insurance Brokers as vice president and manager of the Pasadena office. Perkins is past chairman of the California Surplus Line Association.

Law

Mitchell S. Shapiro has joined the Los Angeles office of Jenkens & Gilchrist. Shapiro, who has experience in class actions, antitrust, termination, unfair competition and other commercial litigation, will be a member of the firm’s franchise and distribution litigation practice. He previously practiced with Foley & Lardner.

Real Estate

David Grote has been named a partner and stockholder of the Klabin Co., a commercial real estate company. Grote has been with the company since 1995 and will also join Klabin’s board.

Theodore Mayer has been named vice president of Charles Dunn Co., a full service real estate brokerage and management firm in Los Angeles. He will be responsible for property management consultation and client development in addition to directing new business development activities for the firm’s property management division in California and Arizona.

Jones Lang LaSalle, a real estate services and investment management firm in Los Angeles, has promoted six in its Los Angeles office: Arthur Buser Jr. to managing director; Christopher Cooper to executive vice president, tenant representation; Robert Zelken to senior vice president, tenant representation; Ken Katich and Peter Belisle to senior vice presidents of project and development services; and Bryan Jacobs to senior vice president of corporate property services.