Our Company

Founded in September 2000 by a group of business and IT professionals, Universata developed its unique healthcare exchange model based upon knowledge gained from serving other industries that shared similar information exchange needs and requirements.

Universata worked closely with healthcare industry experts in customer, employee, consultancy, and advisory board positions. The company invested heavily to research every aspect of HIPAA, patient privacy, and the release of information process. The result - a refreshing new model for health information management in the post-HIPAA generation!

In addition to healthcare, our extensive heritage includes integration, software, database expertise, and online exchange engines for financial services, government, and higher education.

Our Capabilities

Universata offers the following consulting and product solutions:

Healthcare - Universata's healthcare applications work together to create an Internet-based health information exchange (HIE) focused on improved patient privacy and faster turnaround for release of information (ROI). Our self-financing model complements any existing electronic health record (EHR) strategy and creates a secure, non-invasive foundation to facilitate the open flow of information required for regional health information networks (RHIOs) and their communities.

Higher Education - Universata built on its success with HIPAA regulatory products by expanding into the higher education market and creating a FERPA compliant tool for releasing personal education related information.

Integration Technology - Universata owns certain real-time integration products that are in early-stage development. These integration products use cutting edge technologies and methods to bring diverse systems together at both application and data levels. Our integration expertise enables us to meet any integration requirements your product may demand.

Software and Database Consultancy - Universata provides consulting and contract engineer services to federal and commercial clients. High technology services are offered as time and material, fixed price, and mixed contract and sub-contract arrangements. Universata is proud to guarantee pricing and/or schedule, provided that a sufficient up-front assessment and analysis is conducted prior to the offering of such guarantees.

Management Team

Thomas D. Whittington, Jr. – Chairman

Mr. Whittington is an attorney with Whittington & Aulgur admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and Delaware in 1971 whose career practice emphasis was environment, finance and real estate development. He now limits his focus to real property development. His real world experience includes working construction, service in the United States Marine Corps, partner in numerous business ventures, service in several political campaigns and service on several corporate and eleemosynary boards. Mr. Whittington is married with two children and divides his time between Delaware, California and Munich.

Clinton S. Laird – Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Laird became involved with Universata in October 2003 and became CEO in February 2007. Retiring from a 25 year career in the insurance industry in 1999, Mr. Laird was a founding investor and executive with CapMed in early 2000. CapMed is a PHR company and industry leader. While selling CapMed in late 2003, Mr. Laird became acquainted with Universata and recognized the company's unique ability to provide medical data importation to a PHR - the primary obstacle to PHR adoption. He brings a collaborative and strategic perspective in understanding and evaluating the opportunities available to Universata and the pathways to success. Mr. Laird 's healthcare background includes positions as Board Chairman of the Blood Bank of Delmarva and a member of the Board of Managers of the Nemours Foundation and the A. I. duPont Hospital for Children. He has also been Board Chairman of Contact Wilmington and a board member of the YMCA of Delaware and The United Way of Delaware. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina and lives in Wilmington, DE with his wife and 4 children.

Eric K. Barnum – President

Mr. Barnum has been with Universata for 8 years and has a focus on biotechnology, medical, and financial information technologies. His educational background in bioscience coupled to his career experience make him ideal at overseeing and operating Universata’s quality assurance, methodology, and new product strategy programs.

Prior to Universata, Mr. Barnum managed approximately $2.5 million of consulting engagements in biotechnology and has previous experience along the same lines in requirements, product development, and total product quality operations. Since joining Universata as a founder in 2000, Mr. Barnum has worked with Mark Ferrel to capture the company’s various engagements, clients, prospects, and set the direction for future activities. Most recent accomplishments by Mr. Barnum include the ongoing engagement and strategy for Universata’s transition from a services company to a product provider of financial solutions to the healthcare market space.

Mark W. Ferrel – Chief Technology Officer

Mr. Ferrel has been with Universata for 8 years and has experience in the technology field with a focus on building enterprise class solutions. He has developed custom solutions for the FDIC, SAIC, OCC (U.S. Treasury), KPMG and MCI. While working on these projects, Mr. Ferrel developed new and better ways to develop enterprise systems and to integrate systems. Inventing E2 is the culmination of these experiences.

In 2000, Mr. Ferrel launched Universata to be able to better offer these solutions to end users and to be able to pursue the development of the E2 concept. Universata has matched their experience in the finance sector to now provide similar enterprise level management systems to the healthcare sector. The result of this synthesis is Universata’s new ePHIRMS solution, PHI-nd IT, which is architected to make use of E2 technology once it is completed.

James E. Thomas – Director of Operations

Mr. Thomas has 11 years of experience within the ROI/HIM industries. Prior to becoming involved with Universata in 2006 upon the acquisition of Med Legal, Inc., by Universata, Mr. Thomas served as Med Legal, Inc.’s Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Thomas is also a member of the Board of Directors for the Light Foundation based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

During his tenure as COO of Med Legal, Inc., – now a division within Universata – Mr. Thomas oversaw and was the architect of average growth of 18% per quarter over a six year period; he also developed and implemented an online electronic ROI management system across the entire customer base. Mr. Thomas previously served as the interim Controller for Universata; this financial experience within Universata coupled with his ROI background uniquely positions him to effectively direct Universata’s ROI operations.

Nickolas M. Felsh – Controller

Mr. Felsh recently joined Universata as Controller on June 13, 2007. Mr. Felsh has held positions as Vice-President of Finance, Administration, and Operations as well as Controllerships and Independent Corporate Consultant. Mr. Felsh has served in a variety of industries which include electronic component manufacturing, residential and commercial construction, health and safety, retail home services, and wholesale distribution. Mr. Felsh has been an active member of the American Management Association and participated in the development of distribution systems with Andersen Consulting and Distribution Resources Corporation. On the community level, Mr. Felsh has served on School Boards, YMCA Board, Chamber of Commerce and Maryland Sheriff’s Youth Ranch. As a graduate of Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York, Mr. Felsh has a BBA with a major in Public Accounting and currently resides in Ijamsville, Maryland with his wife and two children.