Based in Washington, D.C., Capitol Street is a boutique healthcare research & consulting firm that focuses on health policy research and economic analysis.
The firm was founded in 2009, with the main goal of helping our clients understand the most impactful policy and market trends so they can plan for what is ahead.
Meet Our Founder
Ipsita Smolinski
Ipsita Smolinski is a veteran advisor on healthcare regulatory and legislative issues with over 20 years of experience in healthcare policy and economic analysis.
As the Managing Director of Capitol Street, she advises clients on key trends and major actions coming out of Washington, D.C., as well as at the state, court and stakeholder levels.
Our Team
Get to know our dedicated, analytical staff and advisors.
Ji is an Associate navigating the complexity of federal healthcare policies and their nuanced impact on the biopharmaceutical and related healthcare industries. She leads the Life Sciences practice and understands deeply Part B, D, Medicaid formularies & rebates, as well as relevant private sector and ICER initiatives in addition to health plan / supply chain interactions. She also knows the companies (and therapeutic areas) that operate in the biopharma and medical device & technology spaces. Ji graduated from Ithaca College in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and holds a Master of Public Health from George Washington University with a concentration in Health Policy.
Eric Assaraf joined Capitol Street as a Senior Analyst analyzing healthcare policy and medical technology, device and innovation issues with a focus on coverage and reimbursement. Eric held previous positions at TD Cowen, Guggenheim Securities, MF Global, and Concept Capital. Mr. Assaraf received a bachelor’s degree in communication and an MBA from the University of Maryland at College Park.
Sarah Pitluck focuses on global healthcare access issues including pricing and reimbursement (P&R) strategy, public policy, market access, and patient advocacy for new biotechnology products. Most recently, she was Vice President and Head of Global Pricing & Reimbursement at Spark Therapeutics where she priced the first US Food and Drug Administration-approved gene therapy for a genetic disease. She led the roll-out of Spark’s unique alternate payment options and outcomes-based arrangements for the drug while ensuring timely patient access to future one-time gene therapies. Sarah’s previous roles include Executive Director for Global P&R at Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Director of Coverage & Reimbursement Policy at Genentech, and healthcare consulting roles at Washington, DC-based Avalere Health and Covance Health Economics and Outcomes Services Inc.
Tom Kornfield provides analytical support and strategic advice for clients on Medicare Advantage risk adjustment and payment and Part D issues. He has over 20 years of public and private sector experience in Medicare Advantage and Part D payment policy. Tom spent time at Avalere and America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP). He led risk adjustment policy discussions with plan members and external stakeholders. Tom also spent 10 years working at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), where he held a variety of positions focused on MA and Part D payment policy. He has also worked for Coventry, the Alliance of Community Health Plans, and the Senate Finance Committee. Tom holds a graduate degree from the University of Michigan’s School of Public Policy. His undergraduate degree is from Hamilton College.
Allison Sullivan is a health policy assistant who coordinates seminars and meetings, manages schedules, and contributes to various healthcare deliverables. Her areas of focus include election policies and healthcare impacts, and women’s health topics. Allison graduated from James Madison University with a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences, as well as minors in Chronic Illnesses and Medical Spanish.
Tobias is working on research related to orphan drug market research, projections and competitor analysis for biotech commercialization planning. He is also diving into biopharma policy and antitrust regulation. Tobias is studying economics and molecular biology at Yale University.
Anya is providing critical market research on complex biologics and FDA processes as well as pricing as well as competitive analysis for biotech commercialization. She is pursuing a degree in Science, Technology, and International Affairs with a focus on Global Health at Georgetown University.
Advisory Board
Julius W. Hobson, Jr., has more than 45 years’ experience in public policy, working both inside and outside of government. He has a deep-rooted understanding and compassion about the public policy process — both legislative and administrative. He primarily serves health care clients with particular emphasis on physicians, hospitals, home health, and long-term care providers.
Lisa Chimento is an experienced health care executive and board member who brings more than 30 years of experience across the U.S. health care. Lisa is currently the Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Board of Directors of Precise Telehealth, a chronic care management start-up that delivers customized chronic care management and remote patient monitoring for individuals with complex medical needs.
Lisa is the former Chief Executive Officer of The Lewin Group, Optum’s government consulting and analytics business, where she led more than 350 professionals in bringing innovative solutions to the most pressing health and health care issues facing government agencies today. Lisa also played multiple roles in Optum, serving as the inaugural Chief Product Officer of Optum Government, leading the market strategy, development and management of government products and solutions, including technology, BPaaS, data analytics, population health, wellness, and health care delivery solutions from across Optum. Lisa was also the lead executive for Optum’s state health exchange remediation work to resolve issues in the newly-established state insurance marketplaces in Maryland and Massachusetts.
John F. McCarthy, III, is a senior corporate counselor and has practiced corporate law for over 35 years. John has extensive and diversified corporate finance experience in advising issuers, underwriters, and indenture trustees in a broad range of public securities offerings and private placements of debt and equity. His practice includes structuring and documenting initial public offerings, and venture capital transactions as well as the structuring and financing of start-up companies. He also has expertise in negotiating and structuring complex merger, acquisition, and divestiture transactions, including public company mergers, strategic acquisitions, and leveraged buy-out transactions.
Ray is a Venture Partner at Telegraph Hill Partners. Previously, he was a Managing Director and Senior Advisor at Cain Brothers spanning 12 years and serving on the Executive Committee and co-heading the firm’s Services & Technology Corporate Finance practice. Ray’s banking focus included Healthcare IT and Revenue Cycle Management as well as healthcare distribution, specialty pharmacy and PBMs. Prior to joining Cain Brothers, Ray was an equity research analyst for 9 years, primarily at Bear Stearns where he was named to Institutional Investor’s All-Star Team for five consecutive years, including two number one rankings.
Ray graduated from The Cooper Union with a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering, earned a Master’s Degree from Columbia University in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
David Deuchler, CFA has over twenty years of capital markets experience as a public equity investor and corporate advisor focused in the Healthcare sector.
Prior to joining the Gilmartin Group, David was the Managing Partner of JAD Advisors, a corporate advisory firm focused on Investor Relations, Capital Markets and Business Strategy Advisory. Before starting JAD Advisors, David spent seventeen years on the buyside as portfolio manager and research analyst at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Moore Capital, Citadel Investment Group and Suvretta Capital.
David has extensive experience advising senior executives on investor relations strategy, capital markets, business strategy and capital allocation. During his time as an investor, David invested in companies across all sub sectors of the Healthcare universe and participated in more than 150 IPO and follow-on offerings. David received his BSBA with a concentration in Finance from the University of Richmond. David is a CFA Charterholder.
