Our Vision
Our vision is that no veteran or veteran family struggles to afford the medical services they need.
Our Mission
Our mission is to lessen the financial burden of healthcare costs on veterans and their families by providing reimbursement for out of pocket medical expenses.
All great causes have real-life drivers behind their formation and Bridges For Heroes is no exception. The real-life drivers that propelled the formation of Bridges For Heroes, and the cornerstones that are at its foundation are: Experience, Commitment, and Understanding.
Executive Director Jean Ryan experienced first-hand the complexities of the Affordable Care Act, and how it was not as affordable for everyone as it was advertised to be. For a period of time in 2015 Jean was without employer sponsored healthcare coverage and needed to look to the Healthcare Marketplace for coverage in one of the Affordable Care Act qualified plans. She found that under the Affordable Care Act she and her husband would be required to select a plan with a $1200 monthly premium AND each of them would have a $6,500 individual deductible before the plan would cover anything of significance. Even with a government subsidy to reduce the monthly premium, the out of pocket costs were very high, and led her to question how those at lower income levels could make ends meet while still having healthcare coverage.
In addition, Jean’s personal commitment to serving those less fortunate has been one of her life-long pursuits. Philanthropy has always been a central theme in her life and she has dedicated hundreds of hours and resources to many nonprofit organizations including: Junior Achievement, PAWS to Read, Give Kids the World, Covenant House, Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando, Girl Scouts of the USA, Financial Peace University and others. Learning more each day about the struggles and challenges active duty and recently discharged veterans face only serves to drive her to ensure that our Service Men and Women receive the care they rightfully deserve.
Finally, it was Chairman Kirby Ryan’s knowledge and understanding of the healthcare marketplace that helped make Bridges for Heroes a reality. In his 30+ year career working with physicians, providers, and health plans he has come to understand the complexities of the industry and how to best help those in need. His leadership and knowledge are helping to bridge the gap in understanding the best ways to get the best coverage for those in need.
Our Vision is that no veteran or veteran family struggle to afford the medical services they need. This in turn drives our Mission to lessen the financial burden of healthcare costs on veterans and their families by providing reimbursement for out of pocket medical expenses.
We are committed to helping protect the health of those who raised their right hand – pledging to support and defend us, and pledging their lives for our country. Ultimately, we want to ensure that all veterans and their families have the peace of mind that comes with knowing they have access to, and can afford, healthcare coverage.
Leadership
Jean Ryan
Executive Director
Bridges for HeroesWith tremendous experience across the corporate, philanthropic and nonprofit sectors, Jean is uniquely suited to lead Bridges for Heroes (BFH) to the next level. Jean’s tenure (10 years) with the Disney Company has provided her with the necessary skill-set to oversee Bridges for Heroes and help thousands and thousands of Veterans who need financial assistance in obtaining the medical assistance they deserve. She has been deeply involved in establishing the organization and it is from this vantage point that she charts the Bridges for Heroes course as it moves forward.
“I want to explore ways to increase revenue by expanding, maximizing and leveraging our resources and partnerships, so we can help more veterans transform their lives for the better,” she says. Her proven success in multiple capacities for the Disney Company, especially with Disney Vacation Club sales are an asset to Bridges For Heroes.
Jean learned from the ground up the importance of collaboration and the power of public support. In her capacity as Executive Director, Jean spearheads fundraising efforts while overseeing Fund and Board Development strategic plans for growth and nonprofit compliance.
Her roles as facilitator, trainer and manager of multiple teams have garnered her the respect of many including Bridges For Heroes staff, Board of Directors, volunteers, and most importantly, our veterans.
Philanthropy runs in her blood as she has dedicated hundreds of hours and resources to many nonprofit organizations including: Junior Achievement, PAWS to Read, Give Kids the World, Covenant House, Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando, Girl Scouts of the USA, Financial Peace University and others.
Jean earned her certification in Nonprofit Management from the Edyth Bush Institute for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership at Rollins College, her Bachelor’s Degree (cum laude) from the University of Tampa, and has completed multiple hours of class work towards her Master’s Degree from University of South Florida. She is also a licensed Realtor and held a Mortgage Broker’s license. Jean is married and has two grown children.
Jean and her husband, Kirby, reside in Davenport, Florida, just outside of Orlando and have two grown children.
Board of Directors
Kirby R. Ryan, Jr.
Chairman
Bridges for HeroesKirby is a highly accomplished Corporate Officer and Senior Healthcare Executive with over 30 years of sales, training, and management experience. He brings a broad skillset of strategic planning, marketing, and leadership to Bridges For Heroes. It was Kirby’s vision that brought together the core group of talented healthcare consultants that form the Loran Group, a healthcare consultancy where he currently serves as CEO and Managing Partner. A long career in the alternate site and post-acute care settings has allowed him to develop a keen intuition and unique ability to drive meaningful change in healthcare delivery and payment methods – including those that affect the veterans that Bridges For Heroes serves.
Prior to his independent consulting work and the founding of the Loran Group, Kirby gained valuable experience as Founding President and CEO of Clinical Mobility, a national provider of on-site healthcare programs focused on wellness and screenings. The company launched a national influenza vaccination program that consisted of more than 1,500 three-day clinics in 32 states, delivering more than 175,000 vaccinations. Kirby also served as VP of Sales & Business Development at MediMart, where he launched a national wound care program. He was also Division Vice President at U.S. Oncology, where he led the creation of a new division focused on clinical care pathways and improving patient outcomes, expertly forging partnerships between physician practices, corporations and payer partners.
Kirby’s tenure at Golden Living/Golden Innovations gave him additional insights in post-acute healthcare for patients in skilled nursing facilities. As Vice President of New Business Development, he directed four business units: rehabilitation, home care, hospice and purchasing. In addition, he developed and implemented a wellness campaign, Walk with Aegis Therapies, that is now an annual event with over 600 locations and over 80,000 participants nationwide. The program was nationally recognized by the International Council on Active Aging with their annual Innovator Award for innovation in approach and support of Active Aging in the senior population.
Kirby attended the University of Tampa, receiving his Bachelor of Science degree with a double major in Marine Science and Biology, and a minor in Chemistry.
Kirby and his wife, Jean, live in Davenport, Florida, just outside Orlando and have two grown children.
Donald Gray, MD
Vice Chairman
US Air Force
Bridges for HeroesUS Air Force
Don was raised in a small town outside Philadelphia, PA. Following high school, he attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology. He then attended and graduated from the Bowman Gray School of Medicine at Wake Forest University where he also completed his residency in Internal/Emergency Medicine.
After entering the Air Force, Don served as an Emergency Medicine physician at Barksdale AFB in Louisiana. When he left to join Special Operations, Don was then serving as Chief of Aerospace Medicine at Barksdale AFB. Upon joining the medical support team for Special Operations, Don was stationed at Eglin AFB in Florida, where he spent 8 years. Don left the Air Force after 11 years, and spent the next 25 years practicing Emergency Medicine in the Orlando, Florida area.
Retired in 2016, Don and his wife, Bonnie, now live on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina and have two grown sons.
John Derr, R Ph, FASCA
US Navy
Bridges for HeroesJohn Derr, USN (Retired) is a 30-year veteran with a combination of 5 years of Active Duty and 25 years of Active Reserve Duty with multiple Commands on Destroyers and Staff. He was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal. He has been honored with numerous navy and healthcare awards including being honored as a Purdue University Distinguished Alumnus. He is one of the three founders of the LTPAC Health IT Collaborative after Secretary of HHS Thompson in 2004 asked John to coordinate LTPAC HIT.
John has over fifty years of executive level experience in most facets of healthcare. In his civilian career John formed the Long Term Living Workgroup under Newt Gingrich’s Center for Health Transformation. In 2008, he was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT) representing LTPAC. He has also served as EVP for the AHCA/NASL organizations and SVP, CIO and CTO for Golden Living, LLC. He is and has been a member of Federal, VA, and Corporate Advisory Boards and Grants on clinical technology and medication management. John is a nationally recognized authority in the regulatory domain, reshaping the landscape of healthcare by serving on various committees providing consultative support to the Federal Government. Under the direction of the Secretary of Health & Human Services, John coordinated government efforts in longer-term care health information technology. John currently serves as Chief Consumer Affairs Officer of CareCommunity, a MatrixCare Person Centric Product.
John earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy from Purdue, as well as a Business Executive Certificate from Indiana University Graduate School of Business.
John is currently living outside Seattle, Washington with his wife of over 50 years, Polly, and has two grown daughters.
Michael Garry
US Coast Guard
US Army
Bridges for HeroesUS Army
Mike was born and raised in Long Island, New York. After graduating High School in 1972 he was drafted and served 2 years active duty in the Army. After being honorably discharged from the Army Mike moved to Florida to pursue a career in law enforcement and joined the Newport Richey Police Department.
In 1977 he joined the University of South Florida Police Department and after 30 years of distinguished service, he retired in 2007 with the rank of Sergeant. While at the University of South Florida, in 1986 Mike joined the US Coast Guard Reserve. During his reserve duty he was called up to Active Duty multiple times. His deployments include Desert Storm 11 Months Northern Arabian Gulf, New York and Boston Harbors ISO 9/11/01 response, Assigned to Guantanamo Cuba in 2002 securing the first Taliban Prisoners. Upon his final call to active duty Mike remained with the Coast Guard on active duty until retirement as a Chief Petty Officer in 2011.
Mike and his wife, Janice, live in Blairsville, Georgia with their daughter who is completing her Master degree in Social Work.
William Kieran
US Secret Service
US Navy
Bridges for HeroesUS Navy
Bill grew up in the small farming community of Covington, Indiana. Following high school graduation he enlisted in the U.S. Navy where he served two years active duty and four years in the reserves. Bill was an AN and worked in communications at Fleet Weather Facility, NAS Norfolk, VA.
He attended Indiana University where he obtained a BS Degree in Business and met his future wife, Ginny an education major.
Bill spent 23 years as a distinguished Special Agent in the U.S. Secret Service. During those years he served on numerous Presidential and Vice-Presidential protection details, including assignments for Presidents Johnson thru George H. Bush. He has also protected many presidential candidates and foreign heads of state and investigated crimes related to U. S. Treasury obligations. Upon retirement from the Secret Service he worked for the Department of the Navy in Physical Security protecting government facilities and assets and was stationed in Norfolk, Virginia.
Bill and his wife of over 50 years, Ginny, currently reside in Davenport, Florida, just outside Orlando and have two grown sons.
Larry A. Redmond
US Army
Bridges for HeroesColonel Larry Redmond, U S. Army (RET), was commissioned a Lieutenant of Infantry in 1962 upon graduation from Providence College. During the next twenty-four years he served in various command and staff positions with the 101st Airborne Division, 8th Special Forces Group Airborne, XVIII Airborne Corps, the 82d Airborne Division and other special operations units. He commanded airborne soldiers at platoon, company and Special Forces “A” Team and Infantry Battalion levels. He served two combat tours with the 101st Airborne Division. His overseas assignments included Panama, Thailand, England, Israel and two tours in Vietnam. Mr. Redmond holds a bachelor’s degree, two masters’ degrees and is a graduate of the Navy Command & Staff College and the British Royal College of Defense Studies. He holds the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, the Expert Infantryman’s Badge and numerous other awards. He is a Master Parachutist, a Vietnamese Master Parachutist and a Brit Para, and was Ranger and Special Forces qualified. He is a Distinguished Member of the 327th Regiment, the 505th Regiment and is a member of the Special Forces Regiment.
Following his military service he worked as an Ombudsman for then GTE Government Systems and later General Dynamics Communications Systems representing those corporations with Army, Marine and Special Operation units around the country.
Although he is fully retired, Colonel Redmond remains active in many military organizations today. He currently lives in Poinciana, Florida with his wife of fifty-five years, Mary Elizabeth Devlin of Boston. They have three grown children.
Jacques Pauchey
U.S. Air Force
Bridges for HeroesJacques grew up in the Florida Keys. He attended and graduated from the University of Tampa in 1983 where he was fully engaged in the universities ROTC program. While at UT he held many positions within the ROTC program as well as serving as student body President in his senior year. After graduating from UT, Jacques was commissioned a 2nd Lt in the US Air Force through the University of South Florida program.
After commissioning Jacques went to Pilot Training at Williams AFB in Arizona. During his 8 years of active duty he flew T-33s and A-10s. Jacques was deployed and served as the A-10 fighter duty officer in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Storm. Jacques was honorably discharged from the Air Force at the end of 1991 and served 7 years in the Individual Ready Reserve.
After leaving the Air Force, Jacques began a career with American Airlines where he has been for more than 27 years. He is currently a B-767 Captain flying international routes to South and Central America.
Jacques and his wife, Suzie, currently live in the upper Florida Keys and have two college aged children.
Mike Caputo
U.S. Marines
Bridges for HeroesMike was born on Long Island, New York, but was raised in Boynton Beach, Florida. Wanting to pursue a career in Law Enforcement, he enlisted in the US Marine Corps right out of High School where he became an MP. Mike served 4 years active duty in the 1980’s during Desert Storm and was deployed almost entirely overseas.
Upon returning from active duty and being honorably discharged, Mike attended Palm Beach Jr. College and Barry University in North Miami where he earned his BS in Law Enforcement.
After graduation Mike joined the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and has seen a career of ever increasing responsibilities for nearly 30 years. His assignments have included corrections, road patrol and sergeant for patrol operations. Mike’s most recent assignment is Security Supervisor for Court Security Division.
Mike and his wife, Mona, have been married for 26 years and currently live in Boynton Beach, Florida. They have four college and High School age children.