In
David Palmer
Profile
When David Palmer came to WVU, he had no idea of his career path or even what he wanted to major in. It was an Industrial Engineering presentation that helped him decide what he wanted to do.
Dave had challenges in college. He experienced the tragic deaths of his young niece and his roommate’s brother. He also struggled academically. But the friends he developed in the IE program helped him through the tough times.
What Dave didn’t realize at the time was that an opportunity to work on a project for the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies and Development (CESD) gave him the direction that determined how he would use his IE degree. Dave worked on a project at WVU Hospitals that involved revenue modeling. The experience of working in a hospital led to a 30 year career in healthcare related organizations.
The turning point in his career was when Dave was in his late 20’s. He worked alongside his brother-in-law family owned business in Florida. While Dave didn’t stay long with the business, the experience of being his own boss lit an entrepreneurial fire in him.
From that moment on Dave had been involved in entrepreneurial ventures. All of these have been healthcare related. A special moment in Dave’s career was being a finalist in the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. His most recent venture, Clear Count Medical Solutions was featured in Time Magazine as one of the hot new products in its innovation edition.
Dave recalls his father’s advice as being very important to him: “You only are given one name in your life. Don’t do anything to ruin this gift.”
When Dave reflects on his time at WVU, he comments on how much he enjoyed his time here and how beneficial his education was in setting him on the path for a great career.
Bio
David Palmer is the President of In-Home Quality Care Inc. dba The Care Registry. He is the former President and CEO of ClearCount Medical Solutions, a medical device company focused on patient safety solutions. He held this position with ClearCount for the past eight years. ClearCount Medical Solutions was sold to Stryker Corporation in August of 2014. Prior to joining ClearCount, David was the Chief Operating Officer for the Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse, a public-private partnership which invests in and supports life sciences companies. David also served as the CEO of Confirmant Ltd., a joint venture between two publicly traded companies, Marconi and Oxford Glycosciences. Additionally, he has over ten years of hospital management experience with UPMC Health System. David has a Master of Public Management from Carnegie Mellon University and a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from West Virginia University. Mr. Palmer is also a member of the Board of Directors of ClearCount Medical Solutions. He has served in the past on Board of Directors of The Pittsburgh Technology Council and is currently the President of Pittsburgh Central Catholic Soccer Boosters. Mr. Palmer was named the 2009 Carnegie Science Start-up Entrepreneur of The Year, 2010 Tech50 CEO of the Year Finalist and two times Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist.
