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.
UnitedHealth Group
John Rex, CFO for UnitedHealth Group, will serve as company president in addition to continuing in his current role. The move will take place April 1.
Rex was named CFO and executive vice president of UHG in 2016 after being appointed CFO and executive vice president of Optum in 2012.
He is credited with being a key figure behind building out the Optum Health segment and helping grow the insurance behemoth. Rex steps into his new role on the same date Dirk McMahon, chief operating officer at UHG, is retiring.
MVP Health Care
Richard Dal Col, M.D., chief medical officer for EmblemHealth, has taken the helm of president of health management and provider & network strategy at MVP Health Care, a nonprofit insurer for members in New York and Vermont.
Before his four years at EmblemHealth, he spent four years at Capital District Physicians’ Health Plan.
“With decades of experience, Dr. Dal Col is an accomplished health care executive who will bring unique expertise to MVP,” said MVP Health Care CEO Chris Del Vecchio in a statement. “His deep understanding of the health care landscape, combined with his passion for leveraging innovative solutions, will enhance our customers’ experiences.”
Chris Del Vecchio will remain as both president and CEO.
Whitman-Walker
Whitman-Walker, a health system and leader in LGBTQ care and research, has selected Heather Aaron as CEO.
She will oversee the Whitman-Walker Foundation, Institute and Health System Real Property Holdings, according to a press release.
She most recently served as deputy commissioner for the Connecticut Department of Public Health. Aaron was also CEO of Leeway for nearly eight years and president of the Bergen Regional Medical Center.
> Greeley, A Chartis Company, a healthcare advisory firm, has named Tim Barger as president as the company rebrands.
> Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children’s Hospital has named Andrew Place, M.D., as vice president of pediatric chief medical officer for a combined cancer and blood disorders center.
> RWJBarnabas, a health system in New Jersey, has tapped Robin Ferrer as chief nursing officer for Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center.
> CentralReach, a provider of autism and IDD software, has selected David Stevens as head of generative AI.
> Cleveland Clinic, an academic medical center integrating clinical and hospital care, has tapped Deborah Gordon as executive vice president and chief legal officer, effective June 1. David Rowan will step down and retire from the position but serve as a senior adviser to CEO and President Tom Mihaljevic, M.D.
> CCS, a provider of collaborative care programs and home health company, has poached Anne Claussen as senior vice president of commercial solutions management from CVS Health, where she served as vice president of product innovation.
> UNC Health Caldwell has appointed Sarah Young, M.D., as chief medical officer.
> Sarah Bush Lincoln Health System in Mattoon, Illinois, has named Sean Fischer as vice president of finance and CFO.
> Highmark Health has announced Craig Riner as executive vice president and chief marketing officer overseeing Highmark Health Plan and Allegheny Health Network.
> St. Luke’s Hospital in Duluth, Minnesota, has announced CFO Eric Lohn is retiring effective April 12.
> Telehealth Access for America, a lobbying group, has tapped Alye Mlinar as executive director.
> Maven Clinic, a virtual clinic for women’s and family health, has appointed Rachel Hardeman, M.D., as the group’s newest visiting scientist as she steps into an additional role. The clinic has also established a community advisory board.
> Bryn Mawr Hospital in Pennsylvania has selected Fiona Felton, M.D., as its first endowed vice president of patient care services.
> Broward Health in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has appointed Melida Akiti as a corporate transformation executive.
> Lahey Hospital & Medical Center in Burlington, Massachusetts, has tapped Scott James as senior vice president and chief nursing officer.
> Parathon, a revenue cycle health tech company, has announced Chandler Barron as president.
> AdventHealth Colorado has named Mark Smith as president and CEO for AdventHealth Avista in Louisville, Colorado, effective April 8.
> Penn State Health has given Robert Harbaugh, M.D., the full-time position of chief medical officer for the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center after serving in the role on an interim basis since April 2023.
> SYNERGEN Health, a provider of tech-enabled revenue cycle services for healthcare organizations, has named Patricia Smith as director of revenue cycle consulting.
> Elevance Health, a major health payer, has appointed Kari Clements as vice president of HEDIS improvement.
> Montrose Regional Health in Colorado has announced Paul Perrotti as CFO.
> MetroHealth System in Cleveland, Ohio, has named former University of Florida chief of the division of acute care surgery Marie Crandall, M.D., as chair of the department of surgery.