Welcome to this week's Chutes & Ladders, our roundup of hirings, firings and retirings throughout the industry. Please submit the good news—or the bad—from your shop, and we will feature it here at the end of each week.
CMS
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has appointed former director for UnitedHealth Group and the Department of Health and Human Services and vice president for Arnold Ventures Rachel Weiss as senior adviser of external affairs with an emphasis on Inflation Reduction Act implementation and Medicare Advantage, according to a LinkedIn post.
She also works with Chief, a private network designed to help place more women into leadership positions.
Weiss joined Arnold Ventures in July 2022 in a new role to help implement advocacy campaigns focused on lowering healthcare costs.
AllerVie Health
Tae Kim has been promoted to CEO of AllerVie Health, a national network for allergy clinics, from president. Former CEO Chris Roussos will continue as chairman of the board.
He is credited with helping the company grow from nine clinics to nearly 80 clinics.
“I’ve had the privilege of working with and mentoring Tae since we partnered for the incredibly successful sale of Epic Health Services in 2016,” said Roussos in a statement. “His exemplary leadership, invaluable strategic insight and unwavering commitment to our mission of improving healthcare services have been instrumental in establishing our position as a frontrunner in the allergy and asthma industry.”
Kim was previously worked in investment banking for Goldman Sachs before working for Martin UAV as a chief operating officer and CFO. He has served as president for AllerVie Health since 2021.
Walgreens Boots Alliance
Walgreens’ newest addition to its senior leadership team is Lanesha Minnix. She will serve as executive vice president and global chief legal officer, effective April 15.
Minnix will oversee the company’s legal, compliance, corporate governance and security functions as part of the executive committee, according to a news release.
She most recently worked as executive vice president and general counsel for Ecolab and was in the legal departments for Flowserve Corporation, BMC, ABM Industries, Shell and Sprint Nextel.
Former President and CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance Roz Brewer was also recently named to the board of United Airlines.
> Sutter Healthcare has selected Tracy Roman to as CEO lead Sutter Memorial Medical Center.
> Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, New York has named Julia Faller as chief medical officer; Aleodor Andrea, M.D., as chief of dermatopathology and director of molecular dermatopathology; Kenan Onel, M.D., as chief of clinical genomics and director of the Center for Precision Oncology; and Jerry Yang, M.D., as chief of cytopathology.
> Therabody, a wellness technology company, has formed a scientific advisory board with experts that include Pamela Peeke, M.D.; Dan Giordano, M.D.;Robin Thorpe, M.D.; and Neera Nathan, M.D.
> Law firm Morgan Lewis has hired Stephen Foster as partner to advise life science companies on drug pricing and commercial contracting matters.
> LucidHealth, a network of community-based radiology practices, has named David Grau as chief operating officer.
> Rhapsody, a digital health enablement company, has announced Jitin Asnaani as chief product officer.
> Progyny, a fertility and women’s health benefits solution, has appointed Cassandra Pratt as chief human resources officer.
> Bionical Solutions, a provider of tech-enabled healthcare services, has hired Andrew Seward as chief technology officer for its digital business.
> Chartis, a comprehensive healthcare advisory firm, has named former AArete Managing Director Ravi Kumrahas as a principal in its payer advisory practice.
> ChristianaCare, a health system in Delaware, has hired Donna Antenucci as vice president of population health operations.
> Embark Behavioral Health, a network of clinics and programs providing mental health treatment, has named Sharnell Myles as chief clinical officer.
> Employer Direct Healthcare, a healthcare services company providing solutions for employers, has announced Dickon Waterfield as president.
> Healthy.io, a developer of the first FDA-cleared smartphone-powered at-home kidney test, has hired Becca LaFond as U.S. general manager to scale its Minuteful Kidney service.
> Providence, a nonprofit health system in the western U.S., has tapped Susan Huang, M.D., as the chief executive for the Providence Clinical Network.
> Huntzinger Management Group, a healthcare IT advisory company, has appointed Aaron Wootton as chief digital officer.
> Curative, a healthcare services company, has named Ellen Sexton as chief operating officer.
> Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP has poached Megan Rooney as partner from McDermott Will & Emery LLP.
> Papa, a health tech startup that offers companionship services to older adults, has created a Trust and Safety Advisory Board which includes the Purple Method founder Ally Coll, Marketplace Risk CEO Jeremy Gottschalk and Executive Mental Health Chief Clinical Officer Michelle Feng, Ph.D.
> Kalderos, a data infrastructure and analytics company, has named Sapere Health Solutions CEO Robyn Peters and health law expert Bill Sarraille to its board of directors.
> Healthcare Leadership Council, a lobbying group representing the health industry, has tapped former U.S. Chamber of Commerce policy expert Katie Mahoney as executive vice president and chief policy officer.
> St. Elizabeth Covington Hospital has hired Vera Hall as the health system’s first female chief operations officer and James Horn, M.D., as chief clinical officer.
> Cincinnati Children’s, a leading children’s hospital, has named Bob Carpenter as senior vice president and chief legal officer.
> Sachin Gangupantula, co-founder and head of practice operations at Valley Diabetes & Obesity, said on LinkedIn he is a strategy and operations executive at a stealth startup. He appears to have been in the position since August 2023, where he is “pioneering the future of obesity management by crafting an AI-powered service platform focused on scalable, evidence-based solutions that enhance provider capabilities and patient access.”
> Keck Medicine of USC in Southern California has hired Mika Taylor as chief of financial planning and analysis for the health system.
> Vivante Health, a digital health company for gut health and disease, has named Hamed Khalili, M.D., to its advisory board.
> Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, has selected former CommonSpirit Health’s Midwest division CEO E.J. Kuiper as president and CEO.
> UF Health Jacksonville has named Kerin Da Cruz as senior vice president and chief nursing officer, according to a LinkedIn post.
> Hello Heart, a digital leader in preventive heart health, has hired Assaf Ohana as its first chief product officer.
> Independent Health, a nonprofit health plan in Buffalo, New York, has appointed Jared Gross as executive vice president and CFO.
> The American Brain Foundation, an organization that invests in research for brain diseases and disorders, has named Michelle Heritage as its new executive director.