About Us
Tower Physicians Solutions is an independent subsidiary of Nephrology Associates of Northern Illinois and Indiana (NANI) that provides nephrology-specific medical practice management services. We help providers focus on delivering high-quality care while managing the administrative and operational aspects of their practice to reduce administrative burden and develop critical future business plans.
NANI physicians have cared for patients with compassion since 1968, they are now the largest nephrology group in the nation with over 145 physicians. The nephrology practice operations, billing, and strategy professionals that support NANI are now leveraged to provide the same resources to other practices through Tower Physician Solutions. Physicians nationwide trust Tower to increase their billing revenue, capitalize on government reform, and use the latest industry knowledge to achieve greater success. Let our team of experts be your team. We focus on your nephrology medical practice management so you can focus on exceptional patient care.
Our mission is to increase reimbursement to our clients through high-quality medical billing with expertise, integrity, and compassion.
ANTONE CRASTO
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
BRIAN O’DEA
PRESIDENT
STEPHANIE KNISPEL
DIRECTOR OF REVENUE CYCLE
HEATHER DAGUE, M.D.
DIRECTOR OF INFORMATICS
STEPHEN LIPETZKY
DIRECTOR OF ACCOUNTING SERVICES
Our Team of Experts
ANTONE CRASTO
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
An experienced Healthcare and Corporate Business Development Executive, Antone’s primary expertise lies in evaluating the strategic advantages of organizations; building successful business plans, developing corporate strategies and alliances, managing the sales and business development process and implementation to ensure successful performance.
Experience includes progressive advancement with many major healthcare organizations including DaVita HealthCare Partners, Meridian Healthcare Group, Manor Care Health Services (now ProMedica Senior Care), and Coram Healthcare (a CVS Specialty company).
As Chief Executive Officer, Antone is responsible for all aspects of NANI’s Management Services Organization (MSO), Tower Physician Solutions, including the successful MSO launch, strategy and service line development, business partnerships, revenue generation, and profitability.
BRIAN O’DEA
PRESIDENT
Brian is an entrepreneurial business leader with Management and Finance experience in Healthcare, Banking, Commodities and Manufacturing. He is a Certified and licensed Public Accountant who holds an MBA from DePaul University and an undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois. Currently CEO of Nephrology Associates of Northern Illinois, Brian has helped modernize and transform core operations for efficiency and to build a platform for growth. In his eight years with NANI, Brian has more than doubled revenues and physician members. He has led expansion into joint ventures for dialysis and real estate, access centers and lab management services.
HEATHER DAGUE, M.D.
DIRECTOR OF INFORMATICS
Heather has over 6 years of experience working in Clinical Informatics and Information Systems with Tower Physician Solutions and NANI. Prior to working with Tower and NANI, she earned her medical degree from University of Illinois College of Medicine-Peoria and her bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Villanova University. She uses her clinical background combined with her knowledge of systems to optimize workflows and maintain the integrity of medical records. In addition, she plays a key role in developing the analytics used to guide and influence decisions. Aside from her IS work, she also oversees the IT NANI department and Tower client IT services.
STEPHANIE KNISPEL
DIRECTOR OF REVENUE CYCLE
Stephanie is an experienced, results-focused leader of the Revenue Cycle services for Tower Physician Solutions and for NANI, the nation’s largest nephrology practice. She is dedicated to integrity and accuracy in medical coding, the billing process, cash posting/reconciliation, collections for medical practices and analytic reporting, with extensive experience in the field of Nephrology. Her track record has shown success in process improvement, support of sustainable goals and staff development. Stephanie attended has worked with NANI for over ten years and attended Kaplan Perdue University Global.
STEPHEN LIPETZKY
DIRECTOR OF ACCOUNTING SERVICES
Steve has 5 years of Healthcare Accounting experience. He received his Bachelors of Science in Accounting from Governors State University and recently, he has obtained the credentials to sit for the CPA exam. Steve is working toward an MBA with Finance specialization. As Director of Accounting, Steve’s main responsibilities include the issuing of monthly financial statements, overseeing treasury management, and providing cash flow projections and profitability analyses to Tower clients.