Core Team

Dedicated to solving infectious disease challenges.

Our team is the heart of our success. At ID Connect, we’re powered by a diverse group of experts who bring passion, innovation, and years of experience to everything we do.

Leadership Team

Rima Abdel Massih, M.D.

President, Chief Executive Officer, & Co-Founder

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Dr. Abdel Massih is the President and Chief Executive Officer of ID Connect. She is an expert in developing and instituting models of telemedicine services in Infectious Diseases (Tele-ID). She became the Director of Tele-ID Services at UPMC in 2016 and led its rapid growth regionally. The success of the Tele-ID program and the growing demand for access to ID specialists led Dr. Abdel Massih and Dr. John Mellors, Chief of Infectious Diseases at UPMC to form ID Connect and extend academic level ID expertise to areas in need for ID specialists.

Dr. Abdel Massih has been a faculty member at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC since 2009. She joined the Division of Infectious Diseases at UPMC after completing her transplant infectious diseases fellowship training at the Mayo Clinic. She continues to serve as Director of Tele-ID Services at UPMC and as the Director of the Infectious Disease Fellowship Training Program. She is a member of the Infectious Diseases Society of America’s workgroup on Telehealth specialty.

Riaan Erwee

Chief Operating Officer

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Riaan is the Chief Operating Officer of ID Connect. In this role, he is responsible for the business and technical operations of the organization, as well as strategic business development activities. With over 25 years of experience operating and leading functions in Finance, Operations and Business Development in the US and abroad, mainly in the healthcare industry. He enjoys finding solutions to grow and scale the business and negotiate deals that are mutually beneficial for all parties.

Most recently, Riaan was one of the co-founders and Chief Operating Officer of ILÚM Health Solutions which was acquired by ID Connect in 2020. Riaan also spent over 21 years with Merck & Co., Inc. as Executive Director in Business Development, Strategy & Operations, which included managing the execution of strategic corporate initiatives from incubation to full scale operations as well as sourcing and closing multiple business development transactions. He served as a board member on invested entities and supported multiple exits and divestitures. Riaan started his career as an external auditor at EY.

Riaan is a Chartered Accountant (CA) and holds a Honors Bachelor of Accounting Science from the University of South Africa and a Bachelor of Commerce in Accountancy from the University of Pretoria. He was also a Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) from the American Production and Inventory Control Society (APICS). He enjoys spending time outdoors with his family and loves to (“Braai”) cook over an open fire.

John Lovelace

Chief Commercial Officer

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John is the Chief Commercial Officer for ID Connect. With over 25 years of experience, John has led sales teams with the primary focus of providing needed and timely solutions to hospitals and health systems, while demonstrating the value these solutions can deliver.

Most recently, John was the RVP of Business Development for Sound Physicians, providing hospitals with solutions in hospital medicine, emergency medicine, critical care and anesthesia services throughout the east coast and south.

Previously, he was the sales leader for hospital and skilled nursing services providers.John is a graduate of Auburn University (BS) and attended the University of Tennessee Center for Health Sciences studying Pharmacology. When not working, he enjoys volunteering with several non-profits in his community and spending time with his family and their dogs.