Kate Farms Appoints Cynthia Ambres, M.D. To Chief Medical Officer Post

SANTA BARBARA, Calif., Feb. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Kate Farms, the leader in plant-based medical nutrition and the most prescribed plant-based enteral formula in the nation, today announced the appointment of Cynthia Ambres, M.D. to the newly created position of Chief Medical Officer. With more than 30 years as both a practicing physician and healthcare executive, Dr. Ambres will lead clinical strategy development, partner on new product development and innovation and oversee the clinical nutrition management team.

"We are thrilled that Cynthia is bringing her medical experience, industry expertise and deep commitment to wellness to Kate Farms at a time when we're rapidly advancing our clinical program," said Brett Matthews, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. " We recently published our first third-party clinical study, and we expect 2020 to be a very busy year for Cynthia and her team as we continue our aggressive product development and clinical research programs while actively supporting the doctors, dietitians and patients using Kate Farms to prevent or reverse disease."

Dr. Ambres comes to Kate Farms after 25 years as a senior executive at healthcare providers and payers. Among her industry roles, she was a partner at KPMG in its Global Healthcare group, serving as an expert in the Global Center of Excellence. Dr. Ambres ran her own consulting company specializing in payer and provider development and transformation. She served as Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at HealthNow NY, the parent company of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Northeastern and Western NY, focusing on healthcare reform, physician engagement and medical policy. As President of the Lifetime Health Medical Group Dr. Ambres was responsible for delivering the healthcare services to more than 150,000 patients in the Buffalo and Rochester communities, and oversaw 1,100 employees and revenues of $260 million.

Dr. Ambres transitioned to the healthcare business after more than a decade as a practicing physician, earning her M.D. at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and her Master's of Science in Health Policy and Management from New York University's Wagner School of Public Service. Dr. Ambres did her post-doctoral surgical internship and fellowship at St. Vincent's Hospital and Medical Center, and her emergency medicine residency at the Georgetown/ George Washington/Maryland Institute of Emergency Medical Services.  She served as Attending physician in the department of emergency services at Beth Israel Medical Center, becoming Chairperson.

"I am excited to bring my enthusiasm for improving nutrition to help people achieve their best lives," said Dr. Ambres. "We know that nutrition is key in both preventing and treating debilitating diseases. It's wonderful to be part of the Kate Farms team as we innovate the role of plant-based nutrition in healthcare." 

Kate Farms was founded by loving parents to save their daughter Kate, who was born with cerebral palsy and weighed only 16 pounds when she was five years old. She was failing to thrive because she could not tolerate the available formulas, so out of desperation, they developed a plant-based formula without any common allergens. Initially launched in 2013 at retail, the company pivoted to strategic medical distribution channels in 2014 when Matthews joined as Chairman and CEO and led its recapitalization. Kate Farms is now the #1 prescribed plant-based formula in the nation and is on formulary at more than 35 hospitals including Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, The Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, Loma Linda University Hospital and the Huntsman Children's Hospital at the University of Utah. Kate, who just celebrated her 13^th birthday, continues to thrive on Kate Farms as her sole source of nutrition.

ABOUT KATE FARMS
Kate Farms was founded when a little girl named Kate Laver was failing to thrive because she couldn't tolerate any of the available tube feeding formulas. Her determined parents, Richard and Michelle, had the transformative idea to develop a better formula: use the highest-quality organic plant-based ingredients without the allergens found in other formulas. Today Kate is thriving, and Kate Farms formulas continue to change lives. In 2015, successful entrepreneur Brett Matthews, who also understands first-hand the power of nutrition to heal, invested in Kate Farms, became Chairman and eventually full-time CEO. Under Brett's leadership, and with Richard's and Michelle's enthusiastic support, Kate Farms now focuses on the medical nutrition market, and has become the #1 plant-based enteral formula. Covered by Medicare, Medicaid and more than 2,000 private insurance plans, Kate Farms offers nutritionally advanced, organic plant-based tube feeding and enteral formulas that are well-tolerated by most patients with sensitivities to the ingredients in other formulas. Free of common allergens, including soy, dairy and corn, clinicians and caregivers report patients have experienced decreased symptoms of GI intolerance, improved weight and growth and overall improved nutritional status. Made with organic non-GMO yellow pea protein, Kate Farms formulas provide 24 vitamins and minerals and a phytonutrient blend to deliver antioxidants. For more information, visit www.katefarms.com or follow the company on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

Contact: Errin Cecil-Smith, [email protected] 

SOURCE Kate Farms

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https://www.katefarms.com