Dr. Vercillo attended Brigham Young University for his undergraduate education. While there, he studied music, dance, and theater. He completed the pre-medical requirements with special emphases on physics and Spanish literature. It was not the average route a future medical student would take, but he says it taught him a lot.
"The experience was wonderful. I spent those years developing talents that are very much a core part of my life today," Dr. Vercillo shares. "I spent two years as a missionary in Argentina, and there, again, music was an important part of the culture that we shared with the people of that country."
Dr. Vercillo has always had a love for music. One of his first jobs was running his own disc jockey business at the age of 15, and it continued to be his job all throughout high school.
"There was financial risk in starting, it was challenging to find clients at first, and things did not always go as planned. However, it was fun, and I became successful at it. In a small way, this taught me to take risks and look for non-traditional opportunities," he explains. "As in every aspect of life, no one should hold back from going after their dreams. The worst that can happen is that it doesn't work out, and other opportunities will come."
Meeting his wife during his undergraduate years, Dr. Vercillo says that he definitely had a trying time, personally and professionally.
"[Those years were] a time of tremendous personal growth, as well as simplicity and poverty," he says. "Medical school at the University of Utah, then internship, residency, and fellowship followed. During these years I worked closely with fellow students and doctors to create a medical student informatics organization that thrives today."
After his residency, Dr. Vercillo worked with the National Institutes of Health in researching treatment methods. He conducted research into better managing patients with heart failure using various technologies and approaches. After a while he returned to directly working with patients.
"Medicine and information technology have combined in a thriving industry that I have remained immersed in since medical school," he says. "[After my research work,] I returned to the practice of medicine, and have split my work time between seeing patients, various administrative roles, and my interests in medical informatics."
One of the best parts of Dr. Vercillo's job is the joy he gets when working with technological and medical advancements.
"Focusing on both the real-life practice of medicine and the development of innovative technology [is the best thing]," he says. "Interacting with people who are excited that they have found a product that exactly meets their needs is very rewarding."
| Q. What do you do for fun? A. Skiing, community theater, hiking, travel. Q. What is in your CD player right now, and what was the last song you heard? A. U2, "Unforgettable Fire." Q. What is the last magazine you read? A. The New England Journal of Medicine. Q. What is your favorite TV show? A. None in particular — I like old movies. Q. Who is your role model? A. Jesus. Q. Your favorite ice cream flavor? A. Ben and Jerry's "Everything But The..." |
Dr. Vercillo is now the president and CEO of Central Logic, a company devoted to healthcare professionals who want to maximize patient care and profits to create stronger relationships.
"Our company was built to organize the efforts of getting useful products to market. We got together, organized ourselves, and went to work at marrying product to market. We sought out clients, obtained just enough funding to stay alive and grow at an acceptable rate, and put in a lot of sleepless nights. We worked together to define what our company was going to stand for," Dr. Vercillo says. "We are very protective about [who] we are and the environment we will work in. None of us is afraid to work hard...The most important thing, which is ongoing, is that we are pounding the pavement to define and capture a market. That aspect will never change."
Thanks to his job path, Dr. Vercillo is satisfied with his accomplishments thus far and what his business has afforded him.
"My career involves just about everything I like to do (if I could find a way to ski during all of this, that would just about complete the picture)," he says with a bit of humor. "As a physician, having a skill to offer friends and family is very satisfying."
Now married for 15 years and the father to four kids, ranging from early teens to a newborn, Dr. Vercillo says that he loves spending time with his "tight-knit family." He also says that the launch of his new company has been very important in his life, thanks to his peers.
"I consider it an honor to work with the others in my company. They are dedicated and bring so many talents to the table," he says. "I am consistently amazed at the value of another set of eyes looking at the problem. You can never place a high enough value on good partners."
