About Us - Telebelly Health

Remember the last time your practice was fully staffed and able to meet patient needs quickly?

No? We can relate. That’s why we started Telebelly Health.

We’re what you get when you combine executive business leadership, seasoned Gastroenterology
providers, and technology innovators. Throw in a passion for improving access to GI care and supporting GI practices and advanced practice professionals, and it adds up to a different kind of digital health company.

Today, patients are waiting months to see a GI specialist. And Gastroenterologists are bogged down by rising demand for their services.

Meet the people who are dedicated to making it better.

Our leadership team

Russ Arjal, MD, AGAF
Co-founder, Chief Medical Officer and President

Dr. Arjal is a board-certified Gastroenterologist who previously served as Vice President of Puget Sound Gastroenterology and practiced in the Seattle area for 13 years. He served as Vice President of Clinical Affairs of Gastro Health, the nation’s second-largest Gastroenterology group, after it acquired the Puget Sound practice in 2019. Dr. Arjal is a Fellow of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA), has served on national committees and executive boards, and is currently a member of the AGA Practice Management and Economics Committee. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience from Pomona College in California and his MD from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. He completed an Internal Medicine residency, followed by a Gastroenterology/Hepatology fellowship at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.

Sheri Rudberg MBA, JD
CEO, Co-Founder

Before launching Telebelly Health, Sheri spent 15 years in healthcare leadership roles at several healthcare technology companies, including serving as General Manager of a Canadian subsidiary and Vice President of Business Development for Hillrom, a diversified med-tech company headquartered in Chicago. At Hillrom, Sheri played a key role in the transformation of the company, spearheading several strategic digital health acquisitions, which ultimately laid the groundwork for Baxter’s $12 billion acquisition of Hillrom in December 2021. Prior to joining Hillrom, Sheri held a variety of domestic and international roles at Baxter International and worked as a lawyer for the State of Illinois and Winston & Strawn. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois, her JD from Georgetown University Law Center, and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

Nakort Valles
Chief Technology Officer, Co-Founder

Nakort is a seasoned technology leader who brings to Telebelly Health a valuable combination of entrepreneurial acumen, software engineering skill, and a talent for maturing and scaling healthcare solutions. Originally from Venezuela, Nakort most recently served as Chief Technology Officer of MDLIVE, a leading telehealth company that provides virtual medical consultations and health management services. At MDLIVE, Nakort led the development and implementation of innovative technology solutions that significantly improved patient outcomes and streamlined operations and was a key member of the leadership team that successfully sold the company to Cigna. Prior to MDLIVE, Nakort founded a consulting company that specialized in helping startups mature their technologies. With an eye for detail and a deep understanding of the technology landscape, Nakort has helped multiple companies take their products to the next level.

Our Advisors

Spencer Dorn, MD, MPH, MHA

Dr. Dorn is Vice Chair for Care Innovation & Professor of Medicine at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He focuses on care processes and models that support 600-plus physicians and advanced practice providers and meet the needs of the patients they serve. His clinical practice focuses on disorders of gut-brain interaction, for which he has served as an investigator on clinical trials and co-authored national practice guidelines. Previously, Dr. Dorn led and managed one of the nation’s premier academic Gastroenterology practices. He earned his bachelor’s degree from University of Michigan, his medical degree from State University of New York at Brooklyn, and his Master’s of Public Health and Master’s of Healthcare Administration from UNC School of Public Health. He trained in Internal Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and in Gastroenterology at UNC.

Naresh Gunaratnam, MD, AGAF

Dr. Gunaratnam is a practicing Gastroenterologist, and was most recently President and CEO of Huron Gastro Center for Digestive Care in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He serves on the governing board of the American Gastroenterology Association (AGA), is Vice President of the Digestive Health Physicians Association and co-founded NovoLiver, an early-stage company focused on reversing fatty liver disease. Dr. Gunaratnam is an experienced Gastroenterologist who has authored several publications on the use of telehealth in Gastroenterology. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Biology from Union College in New York and his medical degree from University of Virginia School of Medicine. He completed a residency in Internal Medicine at University of Connecticut, a fellowship in Gastroenterology at University of Michigan, and an Advanced Endoscopy fellowship at Mayo Clinic School of Medicine.

Trey Lauderdale

Trey is an advisor, investor and board member at a number of high-growth, early-stage technology companies. (This is a fancy way of saying that he is currently unemployed. Or, as he likes to describe it, “funemployed.”) Previously, Trey was Founder and CEO at Voalte, starting the company in 2008 and propelling annual revenue to $40 million before a successful acquisition by Hillrom for $180 million. At Hillrom, Trey led the Care Communications business unit and was responsible for the company’s digital growth strategy. Hillrom was acquired by Baxter for $12 billion in December of 2021, and Trey exited the company shortly after the acquisition. Trey graduated from University of Florida with a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering and a master’s in Entrepreneurship. While at UF, his team won the top prize in the school’s Business Plan Competition before launching Voalte.

Meet Telebelly Health