Executive Team | Steve Lackey

Merideth Book

Communications & Partner Support Specialist

Merideth earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communications, with a double minor in Marketing and Health Care from Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky.

Previously, Merideth worked at several other health care companies, in their corporate communications departments. She joined the Hive Marketing Team in 2020 and primarily works with The Hive for their internal communication needs. Additionally, Merideth handles all biography requests from our physical therapists and marketers.

In her free time, Merideth enjoys hanging out with her husband and children, shopping at Target, or drinking coffee.

Debe Wentworth

Director of Marketing, Training and Professional Development

Debe holds a Bachelor of Science in Curriculum and Instruction, as well as a Master’s degree in Educational Psychology and Counseling from Texas A&M University. Gig ‘em Aggies!

With over 20 years of experience in healthcare marketing and sales, she currently serves as the Director of Marketing for Professional Development and Training as well as Brand Consultant for Phase 2 Confluent Health partners. Additionally, she is a faculty member with EIM, teaching their Clinical Business course in marketing.

Prior to her current role at the Hive, Debe spent 7 years in education in Texas and California, followed by 10 years in pharmaceutical sales in San Antonio. In January 2009, she became the Marketing Director for the Texas Physical Therapy Specialists team and was responsible for leading a team of eight clinical liaisons in the San Antonio and Austin markets.

When she’s not working or taking a Pilates class, Debe enjoys spending time on the water with her husband, son, and furry companions, Leo and Boris. She also loves to read and binge watch mindless reality shows.

Robert Mil

Marketing Consultant | Boutique Partners

Robert started his college career playing Division I baseball for Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, FL. After his sophomore year, he transferred to the University of Florida where he received his Bachelors of Science in Food Science and Human Nutrition with an emphasis on nutrition.

He brings over twenty years’ experience in marketing, sales, and business development from the hospitality, construction, and medical industries. He currently holds 3 positions within the Confluent Health umbrella. He is the Director of Marketing for Texas Physical Therapy Specialists (one of Confluent Health’s largest and original partners), a Confluent Health Marketing Consultant for their boutique partners (17 thus far), and an instructor with Evidence In Motion.

Robert enjoys spending time with his wife (Diana) and two kids (Eva and Sam). He still likes to play baseball with the “young guns,” play poker, watch movies and MMA fights, and cook. If you were at his house, he would be feeding you and making drinks. Robert is also an entrepreneur in the hospitality/manufacturing space.

Cole Bowden

Digital Marketing Specialist

Originally from Huntsville, AL, Cole graduated from the University of North Alabama with a Bachelors in Business Administration with a focus in Marketing. He started his own video production freelance business right out of college and produced video content for local business and non-profits. He then carried this over into a marketing coordinator role where he leveraged this and other skillsets, finding his niche in email marketing. With now over four years of experience in the field, Cole has been able to hone this skillset and bring it to the Confluent Health team in working towards achieving higher patient acquisition for its partner brands.

In his free time, Cole enjoys everything outdoors, including hiking and backpacking, and staying active in the gym.

Jason Stephany

Digital Marketing Manager

Meet Jason – the Digital Marketing Manager at Confluent Health! With over 10 years of experience in digital marketing, Jason has seen how rapidly the digital marketing space has grown throughout the years and how to effectively navigate it. At Confluent Health, he leads the charge on Search Engine Optimization, Paid Media, and Sports Sponsorship strategies, and works closely with Bernie on the overall Consumer Media and Digital Marketing strategies.

But that’s not all – Jason is a Google guru who loves nothing more than the daily challenge of figuring out how to make your brand stand out. Whether it’s through Google and other search engines, digital media marketing, or creative marketing campaigns, Jason is always ready and available to assist you and your brand.

When he’s not busy working in the digital marketing world, Jason can be found at the gym, working on DIY projects, or impatiently waiting on House of the Dragon Season 2. And don’t get him started on sports – he’s a huge Chicago and Louisville Cardinals fan!

Born and raised in Southern Indiana, Jason graduated from the University of Louisville in 2013 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, emphasizing in Marketing. With his expertise and passion for all things digital, Jason is the perfect resource to help take your brand to the next level.

Brad Howard

Senior Graphic Designer

Brad Howard is the Marketing Department’s Sr. Graphic Designer. Brad, along with his teammate Cal, is responsible for producing brand content, including digital and print marketing materials, for all 45+ Confluent partners and members of the Hive.

Brad has been designing brand experiences for 25 years. He is a proud alumnae of the University of Louisville with a BFA in graphic design.

Outside of work, Brad can often be found spending time with his family , his wife Beth and children, Katie, Jay, Benny, Sweet Annie and Luke. Our home is fueled by “who’s sick now?”, “get in the car, we’re gonna be late!” and Costco premade meals!

With his personal motto of “Keep Pushing Forward” ,Brad is deeply committed to problem solving, always learning and having fun at work with his teammates!

Dawson West

Content Production Manager

Dawson joined the Confluent Health Team in January of 2023 after eight years in advertising and creative agencies. As the Content Production Manager, he will be your go to with any video or copy requests. Have any questions or want to brainstorm ideas, reach out!

When he’s not trying to decipher what Betsy is saying, Dawson is either playing with his dog, Furiosa, cooking, or at a brewery with a book.

Cali Klink

Graphic Designer

Calais “Cali” Klink has been the Hive’s resident Graphic Designer since 2022. She, along with her teammate Brad, are responsible for producing brand content, including digital and print marketing materials, for all 45+ Confluent partners.

Cali holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Transylvania University in Studio Art with an emphasis in Business. She is also a proud alumna of Kentucky Country Day and a Louisville native.

Outside of work, Cali can often be found spending time with her family, fiancé Eric, or her many nieces and nephews. She leads an active healthy lifestyle but takes time for her passions of traveling, animal care, baking, and painting.

With her personal motto of ‘always be learning,’ Cali is deeply committed to continuous growth and curiosity. Never be afraid to inquire about the creative process or quiz her with trivia.

Nicole Wadell

Senior Director of Partner Growth

As a proud Louisville native, Nicole received both her Bachelors in Communication and Masters of Business Administration with a Certification in Managerial Analytics from the University of Louisville.

Nicole joined the Confluent Health team in 2015 working closely with operations and patient engagement systems alongside marketing. Shifting towards marketing strategy as her primary role, she serves as the Senior Director of Partner Market Growth Support and Marketing Analytics. Nicole is responsible for working directly with our new partners to integrate into our marketing functions and works with our Hive Marketing Team to assure our partners receive the best support and service! Nicole also ensures that all of our teams have data, insights, and functional systems to improve marketing communications and field marketing output.

In her free time, you can find Nicole with her son, Lucas, and husband, Jimmy, either in the backyard playing t-ball, at a UofL game, or reading a good book on her back deck!

Haley Austin

Hive Marketing Liaison

After graduating with her Bachelors in Communication and a minor in Marketing from Mississippi State University, Haley dove into the health care field and never looked back. With time spent in both the sales and marketing sectors, she brings a well-rounded view and insight into her work.

Haley started with Confluent Health in January of 2022 as the Hive’s Public Relations Specialist, focusing on our partners social media and PR efforts. She has since transitioned to Hive Marketing Liaison and is your point of contact for any project-related questions. Working closely with the Creative, Digital and Communications teams allows her to find quick solutions to any situation that arises. When in doubt, reach out to Haley and she can assist you!

Robbie Stephens

Digital Marketing Campaign Specialist

Born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky – Robert received his Bachelors in Graphic Design from the University of Louisville in 2008.

Realizing his passion for marketing, Robert went back to school and earned his Masters in Digital Media Management from Arkansas State University in 2020 and left a decade-long career in technical support to make the jump into digital marketing where he feels very grateful to have ended up at Confluent Health on a team surrounded by incredibly talented individuals who help to sharpen his skill-set every day. Robert proudly serves as your Digital Marketing Campaign Specialist, where he optimizes and maintains both the Yext database and the Google My Business database for all partners, among other things.

When not at work, you can usually find Robert being a proud husband of Blayne and a father of two incredible children, Oakley and Quinn. While parenting does take up about all his free time, he enjoys watching the days mutually shared Facebook reels and Instagram posts with his wife once the kids go to sleep. Robert is an avid music lover (both creating and listening to) and enjoys spending time in the gym or on the basketball court.

Shelby Whitler

Marketing Analyst

Shelby, originally from Evansville, Indiana, pursued her Bachelor of Arts and Sciences degree in Criminal Justice at Indiana University Bloomington, graduating in 2020. She furthered her education by obtaining her Master’s of Public Affairs with a concentration in Information Technology and Public Policy from the same university in 2022.

Following her studies, Shelby joined the Confluent Health team in Louisville, KY, as a Marketing Data Analyst. Her role involves providing valuable analytical support and insights to the Hive Marketing team and all partners, specializing in identifying trends and patterns within new patient data to enhance marketing communications and field marketing output.

In her leisure time, Shelby enjoys reading Colleen Hoover novels, staying active through runs, going on shopping sprees with friends, and exploring captivating crime documentaries.

Betsy Appleton

VP Brand Communications

Betsy Oyler Appleton serves as the Marketing Team’s VP of Brand Communications and Talent Marketing, where she dually leads internal and external communications programs, PR, social media, content, production, reputation management, and centralized talent marketing strategies.

A member of the Confluent Health family since 2018, Betsy brings her international healthcare PR, media, creative, and advertising experience to tell a full brand story, recruit top talent and engage our 7,500 employees. She’s always available to come up with creative solutions, develop a video production, and loves making our companies look great on TV.

She holds a BA in Journalism from The University of Colorado, Boulder, where she holds the record for quickest graduate (3 years) while skiing 40+ days a season, and an MA in Strategic Public Relations from the University of Sydney where she learned to love vegemite and still has remnants of an Aussie twang. In her free time, Betsy participates in all extreme sports that make her mother nervous (surf, ski, roller derby, rock climbing etc.), traveling difficult places, and hanging with her big dog and British husband.

Brandon Jones

Web Designer

A native of Louisville Kentucky, Brandon went to school for Graphic Design at Sullivan College of Technology and Design and pivoted his career to web design in the early 2000’s. Since then, he has been growing his experience in Graphic Design, Web Development and Multi-Media Production for over 15 years. He has worked for several companies in Louisville as a web designer and web master for corporate and partner websites and has extensive knowledge of the WordPress platform.

Now at Confluent Health Brandon will focus his expertise on aiding our partners with regular website updates and web design needs from basic edits to full landing page experiences to help improve a patient’s online experiences and guide their journey through the physical therapy process.

In his free time Brandon hosts the podcast Animation Destination and loves watching Pro Wrestling, Documentaries and a lot of YouTube content.

Elizabeth Scinta

Marketing Communications Specialist

Elizabeth graduated from the University of Maryland Philip Merrill College of Journalism in December 2021. Upon graduation, Elizabeth moved back to her hometown, Louisville, and was thrilled to join the Confluent team in December 2022 as the Marketing Communications Specialist.

In her role, Elizabeth handles all things social media and public relations. From running Confluent’s social accounts to 110+ of our partner’s social accounts, Elizabeth’s day is never dull. She continues to consult partners with curating relevant and fun social media feeds! On the public relations side, Elizabeth helps our partners secure media opportunities nationwide and locally that showcase how amazing our Confluent Health family is. Additionally, she manages and responds to all negative Google reviews.

In her free time, you can find Elizabeth at a concert, exploring the city, reading a thriller, doing Orangetheory or hot yoga or spending time with her parents, two older brothers and their families.

Samantha Grimsley

PR + Communications Manager

Samantha (Sam) Grimsley is a passionate communications professional with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations from Eastern Kentucky University. With a strong foundation in PR strategies and communication, Sam joined Confluent Health in 2020 as a Public Relations Specialist. In this role, she worked closely with physical therapy partners, effectively managing their media relations, social media presence and online reviews.

Currently serving as the Public Relations and Communications Manager at Confluent Health, Sam oversees and leads the organization’s communications team. She is responsible for developing and implementing comprehensive PR strategies, managing the company’s overall social media strategy, and handling reputation management for both physical therapy clinics and talent and recruitment. She is also instrumental in evolving Confluent Health’s internal communications, ensuring effective and streamlined messaging across the organization.

Sam is not only an accomplished professional but also a dedicated parent and wife. When not at her desk, she enjoys spending quality time with her son, Asher, and husband, Logan, while also exploring the city of Louisville. Once bedtime commences, she also finds joy in snuggling with her dog, Molly Jo, on the couch and sharing TikToks with her husband.

With her expertise in public relations, passion for effective communication, and commitment to personal and professional growth, Sam plays a pivotal role in strengthening Confluent Health’s brand presence, fostering positive relationships, and driving the organization towards continued success.

Bernie Fussenegger

Senior Director, Consumer Media Group

Bernie is the Senior Director of Consumer Media Group at Confluent Health (Joined in July of 2021), with a focus on growth marketing to improve new digital patient visits, channel visits, and customer experiences. His team combines data-driven strategies, marketing programs, and tactics to drive desired results within the digital side of the business for our 44 partner brands.

Prior to joining Confluent Health, he spend 21 years at Papa John’s Pizza in Marketing with a focus on the Consumer Strategy and data-driven programs around eCRM, social, email & mobile marketing, eCommerce, product development and performance marketing. Bernie also had a focus on MarTech solutions, omni-channel consulting, customer identity, data, insights, and tech modernization.

In his free time, you can find Bernie out taking photos of nature, street photography or anything interesting, spending time with his wife, Michele and two girls (Chloe and Brooklyn) and cheering on the Cats!