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
Karen Lynch will become CEO of CVS Health in February, officials announced this week. The president of the Aetna business division will replace Larry Merlo, who announced last week he plans to retire, in the role.
CVS tapped Daniel Finke to succeed Lynch to lead Aetna.
Lynch was brought into the CVS fold following the healthcare giant's $69 billion acquisition of Aetna, one of the nation's largest health plans. The deal closed in November 2018.
As executive vice president for CVS Health and president of Aetna, Lynch is credited with her key leadership role in the company's integration of Aetna, launching its first suite of transformative products and services such as the Aetna Connected Plan as part of CVS Health as well as expanding Aetna health plans coverage of MinuteClinic services at no cost. Under her leadership Medicare Advantage membership grew more than three times the industry average, officials said. She's also helped lead the design of the CVS Health HealthHUB strategy.
She's previously served as president of Magellan Health Services, a diversified health services company and held various senior executive positions at Cigna.
RWJBarnabas
(RWJ Barnabas)
It was one of several executives promotions announced by the health system this week as part of a strategic alignment. Among other moves, RWJBarnabas also named:
- Mark Manigan as its new chief strategy and business development officer.
- Michael Knecht as chief marketing and communications officer.
- Patrick Knaus as executive vice president of system strategy.
- Deb Lienhardt as executive vice president of business development and innovation.
- Stephen O'Mahony, M.D., as chief health information officer.
- DeAnna Minus-Vincent as chief social integration and health equity strategist
- Deborah Larkin-Carney as senior vice president of quality and patient safety and patient experience
- and Gail Kosyla as senior vice president of system financial operations.
UC Health
(UC Health)
Jimmy Duncan was named senior vice president and chief human resources officer at UC Health.
The Greater Cincinnati-based academic healthcare system said the role was effective at the start of November.
Duncan most recently served as senior vice president/chief people officer for Arkansas Children’s Inc. and previously held executive leadership roles at WellStar Health System, Tenet Healthcare Corporation and Banner Health Corporation.
He has also previously worked in non-healthcare sectors including leading human resources functions in industries such as energy, manufacturing and mining. He also previously held an adjunct faculty position in the School of Business for Southern Wesleyan University for 15 years.
Duncan will serve on the UC Health Executive Leadership Team and have oversight of workforce management, talent development, benefits/compensation, health & wellness and employee engagement, officials said.
Duncan succeeds longtime SVP and chief human resources officer Clarence Pauley, who announced his retirement in 2019 after 13 years in the role.
> Envision Healthcare named Ashish “Ash” Goulatia as its president of revenue collections and executive vice president of technology enablement.
> MPOWERHealth hired orthopedic surgeon Adam Bruggeman, M.D., as chief medical officer.