Brian Robson provides a detailed summary of the early history of Gerber Alley from 1980-1986 based on his remarkable memory from working there. He describes how Betsy Hersher started her own recruiting firm in 1980 after working for Dorenfest & Associates. He then recounts his failed interview at HP in the mid-1980s where he met Mike Brown, who later became CEO of Gerber Alley. Brian also summarizes the founding of Gerber Alley in 1983 by Urban Gerber and Terry Alley after leaving HBO, and describes the early employees, technology used, client wins and rapid growth over the following years.

1. “H.I.S.-tory”
by Vince Ciotti
Episode # 23a:
Gerber
Alley,
Part II
© 2011 H.I.S. Professionals, LLC, all rights reserved

2. Background
• The Gerber Alley HIS-tory is so rich it is taking 3 episode; this second
part starts at Dorenfest & Associates in the late ’70s…
– Wait a minute: Urban & Terry formed Gerber Alley in 1984!
• Trust me, it started when Sheldon Dorenfest hired Betsy Hersher...
– Your out of your mind, Betsey Hersher!?… Ah well, go on.
• Thanks, now here’s the story: Betsy was one of Sheldon’s hard-
working interviewers, who regularly called his 250 clients to glean
data for his original market research efforts (before the “3000”)
• So? What’s this got to do with the price of eggs?
• Betsy learned a lot from Shelly about the HIS biz,
and left to form her recruiting firm around 1980.
• I didn’t know that – over 30 years ago?
• When I left SMS for McAuto, I met Betsy as part
of my recruiting efforts (eg: Larry Ferguson…)

3. What might have been…What might have been…
• We became good friends, and Betsy found me several good jobs in
the 1980s; one “might have been” interview leads to Gerber-Alley:
• In the mid-80s, she got me an interview at the Hewlett-Packard
offices in Andover, Mass., where a fascinating Frenchman (named
“Giles Merme?” – it’s been a long time...) was interviewing for an
exec to head up their US Healthcare operations – big opportunity!
• H-P was one of those techie firms where everyone has a cubicle, no
offices, not even for Giles, the VP of their whole US mini division.
• Made for a weird interview, as
anyone walking by could hear us
chatting about the salary, benefits,
etc.,
• And how Giles was interviewing
outsiders like me to compete with
inside candidates, like his VP of Sales,

4. Caught in the act!Caught in the act!
• So we’re sitting in Giles’ cube, and I’m lying about my background,
when in walks a heavyset guy who sits down in the next cube and
who Giles introduces me to - guess who? Mike Brown!
• Mike had been on a sales call, came back a bit early, and was all
ears listening to the rest of my interview telling Giles about how I
would make such a great exec, had been so successful, etc, etc.
• After finishing with Giles, I then had
to interview with Mike, since he was
right there and had heard my story.
• Mike grilled me like a fine steak,
uncovering every weakness I had
(which were many!). Needless to say,
he got the job, became VP of H-P’s US
healthcare ops, and later CEO of
Gerber Alley when HP partnered…

5. Back to Urban & TerryBack to Urban & Terry
• So we last left Urban Gerber & Terry Alley when they started GA
in 1983, after bolting from HBO, who had bought IFAS from them.
• Brian Robson remembers the first 11 employees by name & title:
– “ Urban – CEO - Founder of GBA/IFAS, originally from McAuto in early
years
– Terry Alley - VP R&D/CTO (co-founder) - worked at GBA and then HBO
– Alan Cooper - VP Sales (came from HBO)
– Dan Jesson - VP Implement/Client Services (had worked at GBA and HBO)
– Michelle Alley (Terry's wife) – nice lady and quite competent.
– Patti Burnette - came from HBO/IFAS team
– Brian Robson - hired by Terry at HBO in April 1982 (was 25 w/ 3-4 yrs exp)
– Bill ??? - brain lapse on last name... Sharp programmer with no healthcare,
he ended up leaving within 1-2 yrs
– Bonnie Wynn – no previous healthcare experience.. knew Michelle
– Pete Clarke - hired and no previous healthcare experience”
• What a memory, Brian! Remember, this was 30 years ago…

6. The Early YearsThe Early Years
• Again from Brian’s amazingly indefatigable memory:
– “Terry had left HBO in August 1982 - hence, Gerber Alley
formally started on August 1, 1983 after their 1 year non-
compete agreement expired
– Urban left HBO before Terry and convinced Terry to join him in
founding Gerber Alley & Associates (original company name)
– Urban & Terry used the proceeds from the sale of Gerber
Brehm & Associates to HBO for IFAS to fund the roughly $1M
they jointly put up to start Gerber Alley
- Will always remember Terry's
shiny Corvette ‘Indianapolis
500 Pace Car’ that he drove
every day to our new office
digs in Norcross, GA…”

7. Early Years, cont’dEarly Years, cont’d
• Brian could probably write a whole HIS-tory book an G-A alone!
– “Terry provided the technical architecture vision:
• Using 4GL tools to make it easy for clients to get to & use their data
• COGNOS tools Powerhouse suite - Quick, Quiz, QTP with Data Dictionary
– Bill ?? was the only programmer experienced with the toolset...
• Other 5 programmers learned from a COGNOS trainer we brought in
– Followed up training by designing and developing a Project
Control System that we ended up using through FDC days
– All programmers were made Project Lead for 2-3 modules
• Most modules had 2 programmers assigned
• Tiny modules (i.e. Bad Debt) had only a lead
• Large ones (i.e. Census) had 3 programmers
– Terry established design "methodology”
based on the “Warnier Ohr” method

8. TGIF!TGIF!
• More from Brian:
– “Terry & Urban had spent the 1st "quiet" year (1983) designing
the company and developing a "conceptual model" of the
system involving text file docs with Screen & Report "mock-ups"
and some general bullet points on functionality
– We consistently celebrated milestones at our "Mandatory
Friday Meetings" with beer, wine and Jack Daniels for Urban…
- Alan Cooper VP of Super-Sales (sadly RIP)
sold 3 customers within the 1st year, while
product was still "in development" - talk
about vaporware... But demonstrates the
level of trust and relationship Urban
inspired:
#1 Spohn Memorial (Corpus Christi, TX)
#2 Pekin Memorial (Peoria, IL)

9. More of Brian’s Total Recall:More of Brian’s Total Recall:
• Leading edge technology at the time for sure...
• Cognos and the Powerhouse toolset was initially a Canadian
company named Quasar (Ottawa I recall)...
• Well before they began to focus on reporting/analytics tools...
• All were very easy to use and quickly created "prototypes.”
• “Over 95% of system was developed using Powerhouse 4GL tools:
screen & report generators, batch TP based off Data Dictionary...
• Intense programs like Charge Posting, Insurance Proration and
message queue utilities were in COBOL or assembler...
• where performance was critical.

10. First Installations
• (I’m sure this guy forgot something about G-A!?):
– “We designed, developed and implemented initial core
modules in 11 months.. A pretty amazing feat in my opinion.
– (Mine too, Brian, mine too…)
– Included: ADT & Financial apps with modules for:
• Census, Patient History, Billing, Revenue Control, 3rd Party billing, AR,
Bad Debt, GL, AP, Inventory, Fixed Assets... I'm forgetting 1 or 2....
• (I doubt it Brian, I doubt it…)
- Bottom line is Spohn Hospital was the
first "Live” on all initial core applications
in about 11 months.
- Pekin Memorial Hospital in Illinois
followed 3 about months later.
- Northwest Texas Hospital a couple of
months after that.

11. Early Success & Rapid Growth!
• Brian’s display of total recall of early GA days continues:
– “We started growing, growing and growing…
• Jim Bodenbender (now top leader of Relay Health) was first "installer"
hired under Dan Jesson – who was the Project Mgr for NW Texas.
• Fred Leezer (sp?) was hired (previously from GBA & HBO) as installer
and Project Leader for Spohn
• Mark Edelstein (now VP Strategy at Relay Health) was hired from SMS
and focused on Patient Care apps (Order Entry & Results Reporting)...
he had been install Project Leader for Pekin Memorial
• Company Christmas parties grew from about
25 (15 or so employees plus spouses & etc.)
in year #1, 1983
• to 43 (25-30 employees) in year 2, 1984
• To ≈75 in year 3, 1985
• To over 125 in year 4, 1986

12. Amazing Revenue Growth
• Karen See (former
GA Director of
Marketing) dug
into her treasure
trove of GA
archives to share
these gems.
• At right are
financial growth
charts from GA’s
1990 Annual
Report.
• What a ride!!

13. Stay Tuned!
• For part III of Gerber Alley next week!
– What? Another episode on GA?
– Don’t blame me, blame all those GA alumni!
– It’s their fault you can’t tell a short story?
– No, they just have so many wonderful memories to
share…
– All right, but next week better be good…
• Still hoping for any pictures of Urban!?
Please send contributions to: vciott@hispros.com