SeaStar Medical Announces Additions to Board of Directors

DENVER, Jan. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SeaStar Medical, a medical technology company delivering novel therapeutic immunomodulating solutions to improve organ function, announced today it has appointed Rick Barnett and Dr. Allan J. Collins to its board of directors, effective January 8, 2021. 

"We are excited and honored to welcome Rick and Allan as new independent directors to the SeaStar Medical board, " said Ray Chow, Chair of the Board of Directors of SeaStar Medical. "They join SeaStar Medical at an important time as we transition to commercializing our Selective Cytopheretic (SCD) therapeutic device. Rick and Allan bring significant and relevant expertise that will be valuable in executing the growth strategy."

Rick Barnett is the president and chief executive officer of Satellite Healthcare, the sixth-largest dialysis and kidney care company in the U.S. He also serves as the board chair of the National Kidney Foundation in the Northern California and Pacific Northwest regions. Prior to joining Satellite Healthcare, Mr. Barnett served as executive officer and senior vice president of VHA, Inc (now Vizient), a leading healthcare performance improvement company serving hospital organizations across the U.S. In this role, he was responsible for 120 hospitals. He also has served as the president and CEO of Mercy Medical Center, a 276-bed regional tertiary and trauma center in Redding, California.

Allan J. Collins, M.D., FACP is currently senior chief scientist and past chief medical officer of NxStage Fresenius Medical Care North America. Fresenius is the world's leading provider of products and services for people with chronic kidney failure. He also serves as an Emeritus Professor of Medicine at the University of Minnesota, where he has also taught since 1980.  Dr. Collins is actively involved with several professional societies, including the National Kidney Foundation, where he served as president from 2006-2008, the International Society of Nephrology Commission for the Global Advancement of Nephrology, European Renal Association/European Dialysis and Transplant Association, and the NKF Kidney Dialysis Outcomes Quality Initiative. He was given the highest clinical honor, the Belding Scribner Award, from the American Society of Nephrology in 2015. He was the Director of the NIH's United States Renal Data System from 1999-2014. He is a renowned expert on kidney disease and dialysis, with more than 300 journal publications and invited to 450 presentations internationally.

"The addition of Allan and Rick to the SeaStar Medical Board of Directors is another important step in advancing our business and clinical strategy. Allan's deep insight in hemofiltration functionality is a huge asset. His overall experience will be a guide to our long-term clinical development for the SCD both in the acute and chronic populations," said Chow.  "Rick's business experience with hospital systems and the cardio-renal space will be instrumental in executing our commercialization plans."

About SeaStar Medical

Denver-based SeaStar Medical is a privately held medical technology company that has redefined how extracorporeal therapies may reduce the consequences of excessive inflammation on vital organs through novel solutions and services. SeaStar Medical's focus is on removing pro-inflammatory mediators, known as cytokines, or transforming key immune system messengers from pro-inflammatory to reparative physiology. SeaStar Medical's next-generation technologies rely on science and innovation to build upon existing purification technologies to provide life-saving solutions to critically ill patients. For more information visit seastarmedical.com or visit us on LinkedIn.

SOURCE SeaStar Medical