• James Merselis was named president/CEO of Alverix (San Jose, California). Most recently, Merselis was president/CEO of HemoSense. Alverix is an optoelectronics company developing portable medical diagnostic instruments in cooperation with leading point-of-care diagnostics companies.

• The American Heart Association's (AHA; Dallas) new national officers have begun their 2008-09 terms. David Josserand, executive VP and chief strategic officer of the Dalton Agency (Jacksonville, Florida), is national chairman of the board. Timothy Gardner, MD, medical director of the Center for Heart & Vascular Health (Newark, Delaware) is president; Debra Lockwood, executive VP/CFO of the Provident Group (Baton Rouge, Lousiana), is secretary-treasurer. Neil Meltzer, president of Sinai Hospital (Baltimore) and senior VP of LifeBridge Health (also Baltimore), is chairman-elect, while Clyde Yancy, MD, medical director of the Baylor Heart and Vascular Institute at Baylor University Medical Center (Dallas), is president-elect.

• Jennifer Kopps-Wagner was named senior VP and general counsel for Assurant Health (Milwaukee). Kopps-Wagner joined Assurant Health in 1999, most recently in the position of VP, Legal. Assurant Health is the brand name for products underwritten and issued by Time Insurance Co., John Alden Life Insurance Co. and Union Security Insurance Co.

• Imaging Dynamics (IDC; Calgary, Alberta) has named Rodolfo Gutierrez as VP/GM for Latin America. Gutierrez is a native of Colombia, where he started both a diagnostic imaging center and a medical equipment sales and service business, which he owned for eight years. IDC makes digital radiography equipment.

• Gregory Buchholz was named COO of MDdatacor (Atlanta). Buchholz most recently was president/COO for Method IQ. MDdatacor makes technology solutions for the healthcare industry.