Our History and Evolution

American Surgical Professionals has continued to grow and to expand, with a current staff of over 225 surgical professionals and support staff.

Since its inception, American Surgical Professionals has led the field of professional surgical services. Ever sensitive to the changing regulatory environment and needs of the medical sector, we relentlessly pursue new ways to provide solutions that improve surgical outcomes and efficiencies. Our ultimate goal is to reduce the challenges surgical centers and surgeons face in Surgical Assistant recruitment, management, and expense – enabling our clients to focus on providing the best care possible for their patients.

American Surgical Professionals was originally called American Surgical Assistants, Inc. (ASA). This entity was formed in Houston from the merger of two leading surgical assistant companies. The founders envisioned ASA as an affordable, full-service surgical assistance solution – an essential capability that was noticeably lacking in the healthcare industry at that time. In June 2005, ASA became the first surgical assistant company in the United States to be awarded the Health Care Staffing Services Certification from The Joint Commission – the highest recognition in the field.

In September 2013, ASA saw a pronounced need in the industry for a wider range of offerings in the surgical assistance sector. The company acknowledged this demand and expanded its mission by creating broader, more complete service offerings. To reflect this expansion, the company rebranded itself American Surgical Professionals.

Our Capabilities

We understand the complexities of delivering quality surgical care, and leverage our vast experience to proactively adapt to changes in healthcare delivery to the benefit of our clients and Surgical Assistants. Our Management Team’s expertise spans:

• Hospital administration, OR management
• Recruitment, retention, training, credentialing, management, scheduling
• Regulatory affairs, compliance, legislation
• Insurance, patient billing, payroll

American Surgical Professionals maintains strong affiliations, ensuring that our Surgical Assistants are well-trained and proficient with the latest surgical techniques.

Our Management Team

Tom Kirk
CHAIRMAN 

Tom, who joined American Surgical Professionals as Chief Executive Officer in June 2013, became Chairman and CEO in 2018. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Kirk served as CEO and Director of Hanger, Inc. in Austin, TX, as well as Principal at Jay Alix & Associates in Southfield, MI. He has also held several leadership positions in large corporations including finance, planning, and market development. Mr. Kirk holds a PhD and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh, and a BS in mechanical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.

Linda Perneau
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

For more than 30 years, Linda Perneau has been an innovative change maker, bringing her executive acumen and experience in staffing to transform organizations. Prior to joining the organization, Ms. Perneau held several CEO, President, and Board positions with public and private companies. This has included executive positions with Volt Information Systems and Randstad, as well as time as Senior Vice President/Group Executive – East Region at SFN Group/Spherion Staffing, which was acquired by Randstad.

Robert Sharkey
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Robert Sharkey, known by many as “Sharkey,” joined American Medical Staffing in 2024. Prior to joining AMS, Sharkey held multiple CFO positions within and outside the healthcare industry. As a healthcare-centric executive previously serving large patient and community populations, he has a diverse financial skillset that translates into multiple ROI opportunities for AMS. Because of his deep well of experience, Sharkey is able to bring together people and ideas that demonstrate what’s possible today and define where we’re going tomorrow.

Steven Segesman
DIRECTOR OF SALES AND MARKET DEVELOPMENT

Steven joined American Surgical Professionals as the Director of Sales and Market Development in July 2017. Mr. Segesman brings nearly 20 years of in-depth surgical assistance experience from serving as Director of Strategic Sales and Client Relations at Intralign Health (previously known as United Surgical Assistants). Prior to Intralign, Mr. Segesman was a P.G.A. Golf Professional, where he honed his customer service skills. Mr. Segesman holds a BS in Business Administration from Furman University in Greenville, SC.

Kevin Leaverton
DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Kevin joined American Surgical Professionals as Director of Information Technology in 2018. Mr. Leaverton brings extensive experience in infrastructure management, customer support, standards management, and project management, gained through senior IT roles at Energetic IT, Texas United Corporation, Hunt Petroleum, Capital One, TienaHealth, Sirius Technologies, and ExxonMobil. Mr. Leaverton holds a BA in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Colorado.

Donna Scott
CREDENTIALING AND COMPLIANCE OFFICER

Donna joined American Surgical Professionals as Credentialing and Compliance Officer in January 2005. Ms. Scott has extensive knowledge in hospital credentialing, Joint Commission Compliance, HIPAA Compliance, and Risk Management. Prior to ASP, she worked at OakBend Medical Center and West Houston Medical Center in the Medical Staff Departments.

“ASP surgical assistants are excellent. ”

Nabeel Hamoui, MD
Urology Surgeon

“The ASP surgical assistants we have worked with are some of the most skilled bedside assistants available anywhere in the country.”

Our Social Buzz

Connect with us on any of our social media outlets.