Robert Connors

I have been fully retired for 6 years after a successful military career in military active duty, civil service, and contracted positions. I live in Fayetteville, PA near Chambersburg, PA, and about 20 miles from Gettysburg, PA with my spouse, Helene (Judy).

After graduating from IHS in June 1974, I earned a BA in Psychology, Cum Laude, from SUNY Albany in 1978. I then studied Hospital Administration at The George Washington University, and graduated with an MHA in 1980. As part of my studies, I completed a year long administrative residency at N. Miami General Hospital, Florida, under the preceptorship of Robert O. Bruce, FACHE.

I accepted a commission from the President as a Navy Medical Service Corps Officer in 1980, and over the next 20 years, served in a variety of progressively responsible healthcare administration positions at Naval Hospital, Philadelphia; Office of Medical Affairs, Great Lakes, IL; the Navy Surgeons General's staff, Washington, DC; Naval Hospital, Rota, Spain; Naval Hospital, 29 Palms, CA,; and Naval Medical Information Management Center, Bethesda, MD.

At the age of 43, just prior to my military retirement, I went back to school and earned a second Masters, this time in Information Systems Technology, from The George Washington University. No, they did not give me a discount on my second degree from that school!

In 2000 I retired from the United States Navy as a Commander (05), Medical Service Corps. I accepted a contract position leading the design, development, testing, deployment, and sustainment of a physician credentials management system for the Military Health System. Shortly thereafter, I was selected for a GS-14 position and was a Program Manager for all Credentials, Quality Assurance, and Patient Safety Reporting solutions for military medicine.

In 2004 I formed my own company, E-Health Designs, LLC, and provided requirements management and cost estimating services for AHLTA, DoD's Electronic Health Record (EHR).

Several years later I was recruited by the U.S. Army Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Center (TATRC) as a contractor to oversee a portfolio of Congressional Special Interest and Small Business Innovative Research projects which researched emerging and enabling health informatics technologies.

I continued to serve in this capacity at U.S. Army TATRC as an employee of the Henry Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine. In this unique position I had governmental authority under the Intergovernmental Personnel Act, with SES equivalent rank.

I left that position for 8 months to lead business development efforts for a small Beltway software integrator, Futrend Technology, Inc., then returned to TATRC to oversee a portfolio of emerging health IT projects funded by federal sources, and to collaborate with health information technology leaders in government, industry, and academia.

I was also a prolific Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) topic writer for the Department of Defense (Health Affairs). I led selection of researchers to conduct advanced concept demonstrations and prototypes or other risk mitigation activities, involving new ways to collect, visualize, and store health data, make in interoperable, and share it with other clinicians and consumers.
I oversaw the work of these researchers and shaped their work for military relevance, in advance of DOD's $11 Billion dollar Electronic Health Record procurement (which was awarded in July 2015 to Leidos, Accenture, and Cerner).

In January 2015 I left TATRC again as I was recruited as an advance hire by NiyamIT, Inc, a member of the IBM/Epic team for the DOD EHR procurement. Upon IBM//Epic's loss to Leidos/Accenture/Cerner, I was fortunate again to return to TATRC on contract, where I write emerging health IT research/prototype proposals to bring funding into our self-funded government lab.

In my spare time I enjoy fly fishing. I have been fortunate to travel to some famous trout holes such as the Miracle Mile on the Platte River, Wyoming (caught 100 trout in 3 days); the Gunnison Gorge in Colorado (caught trophy 25 inch trout on dry fly); and the North Branch of the Potomac in WV/MD. I also enjoy fishing the Salmon River, NY, and small streams in the Shenandoah National Park.My last major fishing trip was to Mary's Island in the Saint Lawrence River. I fished the Delaware in late June 2023.

A few years ago I entered the Ernest Hemingway Look-A-Like Contest, which is a charity event for the local community college in Key West, Florida. Where else can a fat old man with a white beard get some attention for a week?

Along the way, I was married, divorced, and had two sons. Andrew graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in Applied Mathematics. After a stint in software development at Sapient Corporation, and working for a private attorney in Ashburn, VA, he graduated with honors from Liberty University Law School in Lynchburg, VA. He won the 3rd year Moot Court Championship and was Managing Editor of the Law Review. He clerked for Judge Petty for the VA State Court of Appeals for 2 years upon graduation, and then started practicing law at Creekmore Law, and recently formed his own practice, Connors Law, which specializes in business law and intellectual property. He was recently voted a Virginia Super Lawyer Rising Star for Appeals and gained some recent press defending a Hookah Bar near Virginia Tech. He then accepted a position as a Law Professor at Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA., but has recently returned to his private practice, Darkhorse Law, where he has offices in three states.

Patrick graduated Broad Run High School, Ashburn, VA, and attended New River Community College in Dublin, VA. and NOVA Community College. At 16 he flew a Cessna SkyHawk from Leesburg, VA to Winchester, VA with a real pilot onboard. He worked as a Customer Relations Specialist at the Northern VA Realtors Association, and formed his own business, Stillpond Solutions, LLC, specializing in web design. But his main job is at the National Association of REITs.

We enjoy going to concerts in the local area, and have been fortunate to see the Beach Boys; The Gypsy Kings; Eliane Elias; Diana Krall; Crosby, Stills, Nash; Leon Russell; Boz Skaggs; Steely Dan; Michael Franks; Pat Metheny; and Johnny Winter, among others.

Earl Cassorla's famous high school prank at the end of 1974. Details omitted to protect the guilty and all colluders.