Dimos among healthcare vets joining Harvard MedTech advisory board

Former McKesson and Walmart and Kirby Lester executives are among the newest additions to the advisory board of Las Vegas-based digital therapy company Harvard MedTech. Chris Dimos, McKesson’s former president of retail solutions; George Riedl, former Walmart US president of pharmacy, health and wellness; and Garry Zage, former Kirby Lester president will be working with Harvard MedTech’s leadership to advance the market adoption of its Vx Pain Relief Program.

The Vx Pain Relief Program combines virtual reality with behavioral health interventions to help treat pain, offering a non-narcotic digital health approach. 

“I am very pleased to have these highly regarded thought leaders and accomplished operating executives join our team in an advisory capacity. All are pharmacists who have extensive experience in all healthcare segments with an emphasis in retail pharmacy and population health,” said Shan Padda, Founder/CEO of Harvard MedTech.

Currently, Dimos is COO of AccentCare — a provider of home health, hospice and personal care services — leading a team focused on improving post-acute care patients’ quality of living. Besides his time at McKesson, Dimos — a pharmacist by training — brings experience as president of Supervalu pharmacies and nonfoods merchandising to the advisory board.

Before Riedl took over Walmart’s pharmacy, health and wellness leadership, he spent 27 years with Walgreens in various merchandising and purchasing capacities, including senior vice president of pharmacy innovation and purchasing.

Zage began his career as a hospital pharmacist, followed by time as a hospital administrator. After 12 years in senior management with Baxter, Zage purchased pharmacy automation company Kirby Lester in 2005, leading it as president CEO until it was acquired in 2014 by Capsa Healthcare, staying on as president until September 2018.  Currently, he is a business development advisor to early-stage healthcare companies.

Padda noted that in the two years since launching Harvard MedTech, the Vx Pain Relief Program has seen promising clinical and financial results, as well as favorable opinions from patients.

“Our program is a healthy, organic way for injured patients to treat their chronic pain, instead of them using narcotics/opioids. As has been well chronicled, the opioid crisis has already cost over half a million American lives and counting,” he said. “Through our Vx Pain Relief Program, we have an opportunity to fundamentally alter how pain is treated. With our new advisory members, we look forward to utilizing their past experiences to further accelerate our initiative.”