As President and CEO of MEDITECH, Michelle O’Connor ensures our Electronic Health Record meets today’s evolving industry and regulatory standards, while providing the optimal user experience for our customers. This includes her integral role in developing MEDITECH’s intuitive Expanse user interface and web-based future.

Ms. O’Connor takes pride in maintaining a strong balance between the needs of the business and the needs of her staff, which she sees as closely aligned. She views a passionate and talented workforce as integral to the company’s innovation and personalized customer support. She has been at the forefront of rejuvenating our approach to staff retention through volunteerism opportunities, professional growth, and increased executive interaction with staff, all while maintaining the company’s unique family-oriented culture.

Ms. O’Connor first joined MEDITECH as an implementation programmer in 1988, and soon after pursued a management path overseeing process changes and shaping technical support procedures. As vice president of product development, she was known for her positive approach to problem-solving. In this role, Ms. O’Connor was instrumental in modernizing the look and feel of our legacy applications, overseeing our physician product development, and working towards an agile development platform. Her development experience has driven her passion for understanding user stories and identifying the root cause of any issue, whether it’s a customer requesting a software change or an employee struggling with a process.

Ms. O’Connor is a graduate of Bridgewater State College, with a dual degree in math and computer science.

Keeping a unique company like MEDITECH on solid financial footing is a challenge Barbara Manzolillo enjoys meeting and exceeding every year. As chief financial officer, she guides the company’s financial direction while overseeing its accounting, forecasting, and financial analysis and reporting. In 2016, Ms. Manzolillo joined MEDITECH’s Board of Directors.

Ms. Manzolillo began her career at MEDITECH in 1975, when she was hired to work in Accounts Receivable. During these early years, she attended evening classes at Suffolk University (Boston, MA), eventually earning her MBA. Throughout her tenure, she has also served as assistant comptroller and comptroller, as well as treasurer, an office she still holds. In 1996 MEDITECH’s Board of Directors promoted Ms. Manzolillo to CFO.

In 1991, at Chairman and Founder A. Neil Pappalardo’s request, Ms. Manzolillo established MEDITECH’s art acquisitions program. Since then, she has been responsible for procurement as well as the program’s mission of inspiring innovation through art. She is also in charge of our art liaison program, which engages staff in art through hands-on, creative activities.

Ms. Manzolillo supports many charitable and cultural organizations, including the Society of Arts and Crafts in Boston, of which she is a trustee.

As Executive Vice President and COO, Helen Waters plays a pivotal role in defining MEDITECH’s strategic direction and setting operational priorities as well as overall communication strategies. She is at the forefront of product direction, business partnerships, and executive oversight within the company. Ms. Waters also heads MEDITECH's Customer Experience divisions, bringing multiple teams together to streamline our service and enhance these relationships. She reports directly to CEO Michelle O'Connor, and they work collaboratively to advance new structures, business models, and approaches to health IT.

Ms. Waters has held a multitude of positions with the company during her tenure. She spent a significant part of her career on the frontlines of Sales and Marketing, serving as Vice President since 2015. Ms. Waters also served as Vice President of the Client Services division, where she was responsible for the development, implementation, and service of IT platforms, as well as overseeing the operational, front-line positions in the field. 

Ms. Waters is well-known for her passionate advocacy of digital transformation in healthcare. Elected by her industry peers to be a member of the CHIME Foundation Board in 2018, she is committed to addressing vital issues in healthcare IT and ensuring that the EHR has a positive impact on clinicians, patients, and communities. In 2023, she was appointed as an Advisor to the Scottsdale Institute, a not-for-profit member organization focused on helping healthcare system executives advance educational content on the key issues driving digital transformation.

Ms. Waters is recognized as an agent of change and continues to oversee the advancement of the EHR as a critical building block to the next generation of digital healthcare — where new technology will increase its influence on the lives of clinicians, patients, and communities.

Away from work, Ms. Waters enjoys travelling and spending time with her husband and two daughters. 

As Chief Business Development Officer, Jim Merlin is responsible for assisting Executive Vice President & COO Helen Waters in evolving our Business Development and Sales Operations team. Combining his sales, implementation, client services, and accounting skills, Jim provides guidance on how to grow MEDITECH's business through new market segments, product lines, and assessments of third-party collaborative vendors.

Leveraging his firm understanding of financial analysis and forecasting, Mr. Merlin also works in tandem with MEDITECH's sales and product management teams on detailed financial analyses of new products, platforms, and pricing.

Previously, Mr. Merlin brought his strong financial background to the role of Chief Accounting Officer. In that capacity, he was responsible for overseeing MEDITECH’s financial health—including all aspects of the company’s accounting practices, working with our external auditors, and navigating the financial impact of upcoming accounting and regulatory changes.

Mr. Merlin began his career with MEDITECH in 1986 as a financial product demonstrator, gaining experience in a variety of divisions before transferring to the Accounting group in 2004. He graduated from Babson College with a Bachelor of Science degree. He and his wife Patti have two children, Emily and Sean.

As Chief Information & Privacy Officer, Mr. Polimeno’s responsibilities cover a wide range of information technology oversight, including internal networking, remote connectivity, application development, cloud technologies, information security, and help desk support. He also heads MEDITECH’s corporate facility operations and event management, impacting staff, buildings and tenants across our seven locations in Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Georgia.

An employee since 1992, Mr. Polimeno’s early accomplishments included creating and leading a new internal technology team that spearheaded one of the first privately hosted web sites on the Internet, as well as pioneering the web-enabling of back-end databases so staff and customers could work together online. In addition, he has managed a variety of organizational development and corporate governance groups and their initiatives over the years, including technical writing, strategic project management, training and education, quality management, patient safety, internal auditing, regulatory, and product certification. Phil graduated with honors from the Carroll School of Management at Boston College before joining MEDITECH in 1992.

Shannon Connell oversees the implementation and service of MEDITECH's licensed customers, as well as the company's legal department, quality system for our internal processes, and medical devices.

Passionately committed to elevating the customer experience, she is focused on ensuring that MEDITECH continues to meet or exceed customer expectations, including support for the latest regulations and safety standards. Combining her governance role with her customer experience responsibilities, she is uniquely equipped to support our customers and ensure their success from contracting through implementation and beyond.

A valued team member for over 25 years, Ms. Connell began her career in the Client Services division and joined MEDITECH’s legal department in 2005. She previously served in various capacities, including legal counsel and recruiting and staff development.

Ms. Connell graduated from Stonehill College with a Bachelor of Science in Biology, and from Suffolk University Law School. Shannon and her husband Larry have three children, Patrick, Grace, and Jack.

Leah Farina oversees all aspects of implementations and customer experience for HCA Healthcare, one of the world's leading providers of healthcare services, as well as for MEDITECH's vast international customer base. In this role, she is responsible for ensuring healthcare organizations throughout the HCA network — as well as across the UK, Ireland, South Africa, the Middle East, and Australia — can deliver safe care, coordinated care to patients.

Leah brings warmth, intellect, and professionalism to her role. She is well known for her understanding of today’s healthcare challenges and enjoys working closely with customers and talking with them about how their EHR technology can support clinician workflows and improve patient care delivery. 

Ms. Farina’s interest in healthcare was sparked in college, when she studied healthcare management and policy at the University of New Hampshire. During that time, she also worked  in the Registration and Emergency Departments at Melrose Wakefield Hospital, a MEDITECH customer. After witnessing how vital IT was to the process of getting patients promptly admitted and treated, she made the leap to working as an implementation specialist for MEDITECH in 1989.

Away from work, she maintains an active schedule with her husband, Doug, and their two children. 

Carol Labadini is responsible for the implementation and support of MEDITECH as a Service (MaaS) customers. She revamped MEDITECH’s implementation approach to embed an integration architecture team into the process, and led her team in conducting more virtual implementation activities and training during the COVID-19 era. 

Ms. Labadini has long felt a passion for healthcare and a drive to improve the experience for both patients and providers. After earning her Bachelor of Science degree in Healthcare Management from Northeastern University, she managed a physician practice for several years before joining MEDITECH in 1991. 

Ms. Labadini led the way for physicians to deliver the most advanced, patient-centric care to their communities through MEDITECH’s web-based Ambulatory EHR. She was also instrumental in ensuring a smooth transition during MEDITECH’s merger with LSS Data Systems. She successfully aligned our Minnesota staff with our Massachusetts-based facilities, and incorporated company-wide best practices across every department. 

Ms. Labadini is known as a respected mentor to MEDITECH staff. She conducts regular education sessions throughout the company, to share her real-world experience and expertise. Under her leadership, the company is well-equipped to help customers smoothly implement their systems and provide better management of patient health in today’s changing care delivery world.  

Chris Policano is MEDITECH’s Vice President of Sales, where he leverages his extensive knowledge of both the healthcare industry and the challenges facing senior-level executives, to help customers achieve their goals.

Chris began his career with MEDITECH in 1989 as a Marketing Support Representative, transitioning to sales in 1991. His prior roles also include Regional Sales Manager in 2006 and Regional Sales Director in 2010, when he became responsible for MEDITECH's business and sales relationship with HCA Healthcare, one of the United States’ largest providers of healthcare. Chris was also pivotal in the sales and company-wide effort to move HCA forward with the Expanse platform. 

Prior to his promotion to Vice President of Sales, he served for six years as Executive Director of Sales, in addition to overseeing the company’s Canadian and midwestern sales regions. 

Throughout Chris’ career at MEDITECH, he has emphasized the importance of partnership, and focused on fostering ethical sales and business relationships with his clients. He is passionate about MEDITECH’s sales organization and enabling customers to achieve their technology and business objectives.He has consistently worked closely with MEDITECH’s Client Services organization to ensure the company is meeting the partnership expectations of our customers. 

Chris and his wife Shannon have four children; Ava, Nolan, Aidan and Logan. In his spare time he enjoys traveling with his wife as well as playing and coaching soccer.  

Scott Radner oversees MEDITECH's adoption of new technology for products and for supporting the company's evolving technical infrastructure. A natural leader, Mr. Radner develops advanced solutions for MEDITECH customers based on his vision of using technology to solve problems in novel ways. Mr. Radner has been intently involved in MEDITECH’s use of public cloud computing, strategically providing customers use of this technology to supplement traditional implementations and driving a path to full cloud or MEDITECH as a Service (MaaS) environments.

Mr. Radner has long been recognized for his strong analytical skills, innovative ideas, and technology expertise. Always approachable, he makes his office available as a collaborative space for his staff. Mr. Radner is also invigorated by customer interactions, and is particularly grateful for the opportunity to work with healthcare professionals face-to-face.

Since joining MEDITECH in 1990, his tech-savvy background paved the way for many accomplishments, including forming MEDITECH’s advanced technology group, developing the programming base for MEDITECH’s 6.x products, and creating company-wide internal application technology. Mr. Radner also started the Nyte Bytes program for developers to share cutting-edge ideas in an informal, after-work setting.

Geoff Smith excels at meeting the evolving informational management needs of healthcare organizations across the globe. In his role as MEDITECH’s Vice President of Product Development, he oversees the development of MEDITECH’s next-generation solutions, tailoring products to meet each organization’s diverse needs. 

Mr. Smith brings a wealth of experience and an approachable, no-nonsense demeanor to his current role. Since beginning his MEDITECH career in 1989 as a programmer, he was recognized for his work in a number of management positions throughout the years before transferring to MEDITECH’s International group, where he was promoted to Director of Development in 1998.

He plays a pivotal role in advancing MEDITECH’s international initiatives, and is responsible for managing MEDITECH’s Development relationship with MEDITECH South Africa as well as overseeing Development for the UK and Ireland.

Mr. Smith is widely known for his ability to organize teams and lead them to successful results, notably, the release of MEDITECH’s Expanse Physician and Nursing solutions. He was instrumental in the development of MEDITECH’s Home Care, Long Term Care, and Behavioral Health product lines and continues leading our product development team into the future as we further expand mobile web offerings and application development.

Mr. Smith received a BS in computer science from Hobart College (Geneva, NY) and an MBA from Babson College (Wellesley, MA).

Tim Johnson serves as Treasurer at MEDITECH, overseeing the company's Accounting division and ensuring its financial stability. He expertly navigates complex accounting and tax regulations, manages relationships with external auditors, and carries out the company's financial reporting requirements. Furthermore, Tim leverages his financial acumen to forecast and strategically guide MEDITECH's financial direction.

Since joining MEDITECH in 2014, transitioning from his role as Corporate Finance Director at LSS Data Systems (an acquired partner company where he began in 2003), Tim has held progressively responsible positions, including Director of Finance, Controller, and Assistant Treasurer. 

Tim holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Minnesota and a Master of Business Administration from the University of St. Thomas (St. Paul, MN). He resides in Minnesota with his wife, Keely, and their three children.

In 1964, while pursuing his interest in clinical computing at Massachusetts General Hospital, Neil Pappalardo became inspired to develop an automated laboratory system to improve upon healthcare’s error-prone, paper-based processes. The recent Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) graduate then created MUMPS (MGH Utility Multi-Programming System), which soon became the industry-standard medical software language.

Imagining that computer systems could orchestrate care processes throughout the hospital, Mr. Pappalardo founded MEDITECH in 1968; the company formally opened for business in 1969. Chairman since 1994, he has led his company to become the leading vendor of electronic health records.

Recognized worldwide for his impact on the development of medical information systems, Mr. Pappalardo remains the driving force behind MEDITECH’s technology and business strategies. He is known for his collaborative, hands-on approach--preferring to work alongside programmers in an open cubicle, instead of occupying an office.

Before becoming chairman, Mr. Pappalardo served as president and CEO, using his knowledge of clinical computer science to build innovative and cost-effective solutions that simplify daily operations for healthcare providers. Just as important, Mr. Pappalardo continues to cultivate MEDITECH’s reputation for honesty and integrity.

A firm believer in giving back to one’s alma mater, Mr. Pappalardo contributes whatever he can to help MIT maintain its world-class status, and is a Life Member of the Corporation. He has served on a variety of committees and funded multiple endeavors to improve the university, from a full professorship and post-doc fellowships to the construction of a world-class optical telescope observatory in Chile.

Mr. Pappalardo received an honorary degree from Suffolk University in Boston, as well as one of the first honorary degrees from the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, which dedicated the Pappalardo Medical Center in his honor. In 2008, he received the Order of Science and Technology Medal from the Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea, and in 2011, he was recognized with the Commonwealth Award from the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council.

Neil and his wife, Jane, live in Boston, where they support many local cultural, educational, and social service organizations. They have four children and 13 grandchildren.

Lawrence Polimeno was hired as MEDITECH’s first employee. Ever since, he has been Chairman A. Neil Pappalardo’s right-hand man, providing business acumen and promoting integrity. In 2002, he was appointed as vice chairman. In this position, Mr. Polimeno continues to work alongside Mr. Pappalardo as well as CEO Howard Messing and President and COO Michelle O'Connor to chart our strategic direction, champion state-of-the-art advancements, and retain the corporate culture that fosters MEDITECH’s success.

In addition to being vice chairman, Mr. Polimeno is a member of the MEDITECH Board of Directors’ charitable contribution committee, which supports more than 40 nonprofit organizations in the New England and Atlanta areas. Also, he served as president and CEO of Patient Care Technologies, Inc., from 2007 until its merger with MEDITECH in 2010, ensuring the smoothest possible transition.  

Mr. Polimeno was first named to MEDITECH’s Board of Directors in 1994, in recognition of his outstanding performance as executive vice president and chief operating officer. That same year, he was promoted to president and chief operating officer. Under his leadership, MEDITECH saw unprecedented growth in excess of 21 percent, as he helped to solidify MEDITECH’s reputation for honorable business practices and financial stability.

Mr. Polimeno and his wife, Sandy, live in Tewksbury, MA. They have three sons, two of whom are also longtime MEDITECHers, and nine grandchildren.

Howard Messing joined MEDITECH as a programmer in 1974 and soon after, decided to make healthcare technology his life’s work. Now Vice Chairman, Mr. Messing was CEO for ten years and brings four decades of experience in electronic health records to the helm; he has served on MEDITECH's Board of Directors since 2011 and works closely with Chairman A. Neil Pappalardo and Vice Chairman Lawrence A. Polimeno to guide the company's policies, business, and product direction.

Before his promotion to CEO, Mr. Messing was President and Chief Operating Officer, a position he held for almost eight years and for which he was unanimously appointed by the Board of Directors. Throughout his presidency, Mr. Messing has overseen MEDITECH’s steady growth, while maintaining the company’s uniquely supportive, family-oriented culture for which it is known. He was first promoted to vice president in 1985, and most recently served as executive vice president from 1995 to 2002.

Raised in Cambria Heights, New York, Mr. Messing’s lifelong interest in science and technology has fueled his personal and professional development. In high school, he started a computer software business providing custom statistical programming at the NYU Graduate School of Business Administration. Subsequently, he attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Mass., where he majored in electrical engineering. After attending graduate school for Computer Science at Rutgers University in New Jersey, Mr. Messing returned to the Boston area and began his career at MEDITECH. His devotion to science continues to this day — he serves on the Museum of Science Board of Trustees. He’s also an active alumnus at MIT, where he serves on the Dean of Science’s Advisory Committee.

A longtime resident of Westwood, Mass., Mr. Messing has held many volunteer leadership positions, including chairman of the Finance Committee and chairman of the Economic Development Advisory Board. In addition, he helped to complete and expand use of the town’s Geographical Information System as chair of the Information System Advisory Board. In 2011 he was awarded the Westwood John J. Cronin Public Service Award for his contributions.

Mr. Messing and his wife, Colleen, have two children and two grandchildren.