NEWARK, Calif., April 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Hospi Corporation, a privately-held medical device company, has appointed to its board of directors John Freidenrich and Richard (Dick) Kashnow, two highly respected and experienced investors.

"We are delighted that John and Dick have joined our board at this important juncture as we launch our first commercial product," said Igal Ladabaum, chief executive officer of Hospi Corporation.  "With the recent FDA approval of the Macy Catheter™, we are making strong progress towards establishing Hospi as an innovator of practical, patient-centric medical devices.  John and Dick will both provide wise and relevant input to our plans for Hospi's growth.  We also greatly appreciate their personal investments in the company that, together with other investors' contributions to our recent Series A financing, support the commercial launch of the Macy Catheter."

John Freidenrich received his bachelor's degree and LLD from Stanford University and began his career as a lawyer, founding the law firm of Ware & Freidenrich in 1968.  Now part of DLA Piper, it continues to be one of Silicon Valley's preeminent law firms. Mr. Freidenrich founded the venture capital firm Bay Partners in 1976 and led the firm for over a quarter century. Currently, he is a founding partner of Regis Management Company, LLC, an independent private investment firm that partners with families, foundations, and endowments.  A former Chairman of the Stanford University Board of Trustees, he has also been a long time Director of Stanford Hospital and Clinics.

Richard Kashnow is the former chairman and chief executive of Raychem. He started his career as a physicist at General Electric's R&D Center.  Later he held technical and general management positions in several GE businesses.  Following Tyco's acquisition of Raychem, he formed a venture capital unit for Tyco and led investments in communications and medical device companies.  He has served on the boards of several public and private technology companies.  He is currently a director of Electronics for Imaging (Nasdaq:EFII).  He served as an officer in the U.S. Army.  He holds a PhD in physics from Tufts University and a BS in physics from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. 

About the Macy Catheter™
The Macy Catheter is the only device designed and approved solely for the ongoing rectal delivery of medications and liquids.  It was invented by 20-year veteran hospice nurse, Brad Macy, RN, BSN, CHPN, co-founder of Hospi and recipient of the 2013 National Hospice and Palliative Care Nurse of the Year Award.  The device offers clinicians and caregivers an easy, discreet and comfortable alternative to rectal administration of medication, and is particularly useful for patients with serious or terminal illness who often lose the ability to swallow.

About Hospi Corporation
Hospi Corporation is a privately-held medical device company that improves quality of life by innovating practical, high-impact medical devices that enhance patient comfort and wellbeing, ease caregiver burden, and reduce cost.  The company's patient-centric focus, which is informed by a nursing perspective, guided the development of its first product, the Macy Catheter™.  Hospi Corporation has received Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants from the National Science Foundation and the NIH's National Institute of Nursing Research to support development of its products.  For more information, visit www.hospicorp.com.

SOURCE Hospi Corporation