The State of San Francisco Healthcare

Mike Conn is the CEO at Meridian, a full-service owner, operator, and investor of real estate focused primarily on healthcare properties in the western U.S. With more than 20 years of experience in construction, real estate, and development, Mr. Conn is responsible for all aspects of development, including site acquisition, joint ventures, deal structuring, and execution. He oversees construction and overall performance of the assets. Prior to joining Meridian, Mr. Conn worked in commercial brokerage at CB Richard Ellis, where he specialized in the sales and leasing of industrial and flex/office product. He has also worked as a developer with Catellus Development Corporation and ProLogis, and as a general contractor with Turner Construction Company. Over the course of his career, Mr. Conn has completed several million square feet of projects with a value of $1 Billion. The projects range from major value-add repositionings to sub-acute adaptive re-use facilities, to dense ground-up urban infill development. Some of the notable healthcare facilities include dialysis centers, biopharmaceutical labs, primary and specialty care medical and dental clinics, and several OSHPD out-patient ambulatory facilities. His clients include major healthcare providers such as Kaiser, Sutter, Stanford, John Muir, UCSF Health, HCA, DaVita, Satellite Healthcare, McKesson, AltaMed, Amgen, Baxter, and many Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). Mr. Conn holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California at Santa Barbara and is a licensed California Real Estate Broker, a General Contractor, and LEED Accredited Professional.

Dr. Vitka Eisen is the President and Chief Executive Officer of HealthRIGHT 360, a network of Federally Qualified Health Centers and one of the largest providers of behavioral health services to marginalized Californians. With over 30 years of experience in human services, Dr. Eisen has dedicated her career to supporting people and communities struggling with addiction and incarceration through the provision of integrated, compassionate, and relevant care. Since being appointed to her current role in 2010, Dr. Eisen has led HealthRIGHT 360 through a series of mergers, growing the organization to serve over 36,000 people annually. A frequent speaker on innovative clinical and business practices, Dr. Eisen serves on the boards of directors of the National Council for Behavioral Health, the California Association of Drug and Alcohol Program Executives, and the California Council of Community Behavioral Health Agencies. Dr. Eisen earned an M.S.W. from San Francisco State University, and a Doctorate from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She is a person in long term recovery from substance use disorder; having participated in treatment over 30 years ago at the agency she now leads.

Mike Sanford has over 25 years of experience in the U.S. commercial real estate markets, and previously served as Executive Vice President at Kilroy Realty Corporation, as well as held other key positions at Lowe Enterprises, Equity Office Properties, and Spieker Properties. Over the course of his real estate career, Sanford has been responsible for over USD6 billion of investment activity that included over six million square feet of development. As CEO of CFLD (US) Inc., he will be responsible for growing the company's footprint throughout the U.S., where he will be in charge of the local strategy and operations, as well as spearhead market development and team expansion.

As leader of the healthcare market for Lionakis, Muhsin Lihony sets the strategy and direction for all of Lionakis’ regional healthcare teams. He leverages more than 25 years of experience, keeping Lionakis on the forefront of healthcare design and delivery. Over the years Muhsin has experience in both the design and management of complex healthcare projects and has worked with many clients forging a reputation based on strong project performance and innovative solutions. This breadth of experience has been built on the foundation of client service and a strong drive to continuously stay ahead of the latest industry trends and innovations. Muhsin’s philosophy and approach have been a key driver in the growth and success of Lionakis’ healthcare market.

Jeff Guild , PE, LEED AP, is a Director with Enovity, an engineering firm that operates, maintains, and optimizes facilities to assure higher-performance places. Jeff has more than 20 years of experience in engineering and construction. Jeff’s team of energy experts partners with facility owners and utilities to deliver projects that save energy and improve indoor environmental quality. His recent work has helped leading healthcare organizations like Sutter Health implement cost-effective energy efficiency strategies in hospitals and medical office buildings. A Licensed Professional Mechanical Engineer, Jeff holds MBAs from Columbia University and UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from CSU–Chico.

Steve brings 15 years of construction experience on large, complex and industry changing hospital projects. He is highly regarded for his leadership skills and ability to successfully manage challenging and logistically complex projects on time and within budget. Steve is a graduate of University of Wisconsin with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Engineering Management and is a LEED ® Accredited Professional. Since joining DPR Construction in 2001, he has completed several major healthcare projects for the forward-thinking national general contractor and construction manager. Steve was an integral team member on the award-winning UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay and is currently working on the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital in Palo Alto.

Jeff Brink has over 20 years of structural design experience with significant developments up and down the west coast, ranging from Performance Based Design high-rises to mixed-use projects at Candlestick Point, the SF Shipyard, and Yerba Buena Island. Current projects include the City of San Francisco’s new office tower at 1500 Mission Street and the Virgin Hotel adjacent to the Moscone Center. Jeff’s technical expertise at integrating innovative structural systems, combined with his broad understanding of the construction industry, allows architecturally decisive projects to be achieved while still maintaining the project budget.