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.
CVS Health
Aetna Medicaid has decided on Mark Santos as its newest president, reporting directly to CVS Health Executive Vice President Brian Kane.
In the role, Santos will oversee “strategy, operations and growth initiatives” for Aetna Medicaid’s 2.6 million members across 16 state health plans, according to a press release.
It’s the latest title change for Santos, who has been at Aetna since 2004. During his time, he has worked in finance, been a program lead for Medicaid, served as chief of staff and head of strategy for government services, was president of the New England market, acted as head of commercial underwriting and most recently was vice president and head of diversified commercial solutions.
Walgreens Boots Alliance
Walgreens, attempting to fill a number of executive openings, has hired Neal Sample as its newest executive vice president and chief information officer, effective Nov.1.
He will be responsible for leading the corporation’s strategy for IT function and implementation of digital innovation, according to a press release. Sample brings more than 20 years of experience across healthcare and other industries, working for Fortune 100 companies and startups.
Currently serving as chairman of the board at Wellfield Technologies as well as chair of the board of trustees for the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis, Sample previously served as chief information officer for Northwestern Mutual, Express Scripts and American Express, in addition to other roles. He also worked for eBay and Yahoo.
Calibrate
Calibrate, a weight loss telehealth startup that launched in 2019 and prescribes GLP-1 medications, is shaking up its leadership team amid company turmoil, causing Calibrate to lay off about 250 people and agreeing to a $37.5 million debt funding deal from Madryn Asset Management and SMVentures, according to news reports.
Isabelle Kenyon will step down as CEO and no longer oversee operations, but she’ll be staying associated with the company as a founder. CFO Dave Fielding is also stepping down, and executives Scott Honken and Ed Cudahy have been promoted.
“I cannot imagine a more exciting moment to focus on delivering on our audacious mission, and so this week I am stepping into a new role at Calibrate evangelizing our mission, vision, and values as our founder,” said Kenyon in a statement on Medium. “In this role, I will work with our Leadership Team and our Clinical Advisors to radically increase access to our programs.”
> The National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions, a nonprofit purchaser-aligned organization, has named Shawn Gremminger as president and CEO, succeeding Michael Thompson, who will retire at the end of the year.
> The O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law, a leading health policy think tank, has had Health Policy and the Law Initiative director Katie Keith selected as deputy assistant to President Joe Biden and deputy director of the White House Gender Policy Council.
> Kaiser Permanente, a nonprofit health plan serving more than 12 million people, has announced Cook County Health CEO Israel Rocha as regional president of the Mid-Atlantic region. Erik Mikaitis, M.D., the Cook County Health chief quality officer, will replace Rocha on an interim basis, according to reports.
> Cigna Healthcare has announced Manish Naik as vice president of its dental and vision businesses, effective Oct. 30.
> Definitive Healthcare, a SaaS platform offering solutions for providers, has named Carrie Lazorchak as chief revenue officer.
> Lovelace Medical Center, a 263-bed acute care hospital located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has appointed Brian Miller as CEO and Michael Kueker as CEO of Lovelace Medical Group.
> CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, the largest not-for-profit health plan in the mid-Atlantic region and an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, has hired Roberto Suarez as new vice president and chief information security officer.
> Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, an academic medical center and teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School, has tapped Pat Folcarelli, Ph.D., as senior vice president for patient care services and chief nursing officer, effective Nov. 27.
> Triple-S Management, a subsidiary of GuideWell (the parent company of Florida Blue) and an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, has selected Thurman Justice as its new CEO.
> Baptist Health South Florida, a healthcare organization spanning across Florida, has named Warren Selman, M.D., as the chief medical executive for Marcus Neuroscience Institute at Boca Raton Regional Hospital.
> Lawrence General Hospital in Massachusetts has named Abha Agrawal, M.D., as its next president and CEO.
> Broadlawns Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa, has announced that President and CEO Anthony Coleman has resigned from his role. The board has named acting Chief Medical Officer Jason Kruse, M.D., as interim CEO.
> Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, a cancer treatment and research institution in New York, has picked Craig Blinderman, M.D., as chief of the supportive care service.
> The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses has named Vicki Good as its newest chief clinical officer.
> Kalium Health, a personalized chronic disease management company spun out of Cambridge University, has named Omron Healthcare President and CEO Ranndy Kellogg to its board of directors. The company also announced the formation of its inaugural advisory board.
> University of Michigan Health has selected Matt Nobis as regional vice president of finance.
> UNC Hospitals has announced that Chief Nursing Executive Cathy Madigan will retire Nov. 17.
> Wellplaece, a company utilizing AI-powered procurement to save dental support organizations, groups and practices money when purchasing supplies, has welcomed Garrett Goldberg as COO.
> University of Nebraska Medical Center has announced that Mark Rupp, M.D., will retire from his role as chief of the UNMC Division of Infectious Diseases in 2024.
> Prairie Lakes Healthcare System, spanning 10 counties in South Dakota and western Minnesota, has welcomed Lynn Severson as CFO.
> Nemours Children’s Health, a pediatric health system in multiple states, has said Mark Marcantano will join the organization as regional president for Nemours Children’s Delaware Valley.
> The Hearing Industries Association, advocating for companies that manufacture and distribute hearing aids and other components, announced Bridget Dobyan as the group’s newest executive director, effective Jan. 1, 2024. She will replace the retiring Kate Carr.
> Sharecare, a digital health company helping providers, employers and health plans scale outcomes, has tapped Michael Joachim as its newest executive vice president and general manager of life sciences.
> Abacus Insights, a data management solution company for payers, has announced William McIvor to its board of directors.
> Arnold Ventures, a philanthropic advocacy group for issue areas including health, has named AHIP communications executive Kristine Grow as its new vice president of communications.