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
David Joyner is replacing Karen Lynch as CEO of CVS Health, the company announced Oct. 17.
Joyner, who served most recently as president of CVS Caremark, the company's pharmacy benefit management division, took the CEO role as of Oct. 17. He succeeds Karen Lynch, who "stepped down from her position in agreement with the company’s Board of Directors," according to an announcement.
Joyner will also join CVS' board of directors, the company said. In addition, Roger Farah, the chair of the board, will become CVS' executive chairman.
Shares in CVS Health trended down premarket following the announcement.
Joyner brings nearly four decades of industry experience to the CEO role, CVS said, including leadership experience at Aetna and other segments of CVS. He has also been on the boards of multiple private-equity-backed firms.
UPMC Health Plan
Mary Beth Jenkins has been named as the new CEO for UPMC Health Plan, and she's set to step into the role Jan. 1.
Jenkins will succeed long-time CEO Diane Holder, who will retire Dec. 31 after a 40-year career at UPMC. Jenkins herself is a veteran at the organization, serving in multiple roles since 1998. She was appointed as executive vice president and chief operating officer for UPMC's Insurance Services Division in 2023 when Holder's retirement was first announced.
“Mary Beth’s strong, strategic leadership has been a key driver of the Health Plan’s strong growth and outstanding quality awards for customer service and community outreach,” said Leslie C. Davis, president and CEO of UPMC, in the press release. “Mary Beth’s forward-thinking work within UPMC’s successful integrated health care delivery system has helped ensure the Health Plan continues to offer affordable coverage while providing outstanding customer satisfaction and high-quality health care.”
American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society (ACS) tapped the president emeritus of Howard University, Wayne A.I. Frederick, M.D., as interim CEO of ACS and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). He takes over from Karen Knudsen, Ph.D., effective Nov. 2.
“I am deeply honored to join ACS and ACS CAN in this capacity as interim CEO and continue our work to end cancer as we know it, for everyone,” said Frederick. “I look forward to working full-time with the incredible teams at ACS and ACS CAN, and more than a million volunteers across the country, to advance our shared goals of increasing access to care, reducing cancer disparities and improving the lives of patients and their families.”
Frederick served as Howard University’s president from 2014 to 2023. He was recently appointed as the distinguished Charles R. Drew Professor of Surgery at Howard University College of Medicine.
“Dr. Frederick’s commitment to improving health care outcomes, particularly as it relates to patient care and research, aligns perfectly with the American Cancer Society’s mission,” said Brian Marlow, chair of the ACS board of directors. “As a proven and collaborative leader, we are confident in his ability to maintain and build upon the incredible momentum across ACS during this period of leadership transition.”
> Erik Mikaitis, M.D., is the permanent CEO of Cook County Health, one of the largest public health systems in the country. The Cook County board of commissioners approved his nomination Oct. 23. Mikaitis has served as interim CEO since Dec. 2, 2023.
> Hims & Hers named the first chief medical officer of Hers, Jessica Shepard, M.D.
> Kristina Campbell, chief financial officer of women's health startup Maven Clinic, has left the company, Business Insider reported.
> Christine Alexander-Rager will stay on as MetroHealth’s president and CEO through 2025, the health system announced.
> The chief information officer of Providence, B.J. Moore, stepped away from the health system.
> Online weight loss company Noom tapped Julia Edelman as executive director of women’s health and Karen Mann as medical director.
> Point32 Health has appointed Dan Currie as the new senior vice president of operations.
> ShiftKey promoted Bhavna Kamalia to chief financial officer. Kamalia previously served as executive vice president of finance and accounting.
> Sloane Healthcare, a subsidiary of Sloane & Company, hired Leslie Wheeler as a managing director.
> Non-for-profit Burke Rehabilitation Hospital welcomes two new board members, Andrew Cohen, Ph.D., and Kevin McCarthy.
> John Rosenthal has joined NYBC Ventures as board chair.
> Venture and incubation firm Red Cell Partners hired Borislava Marcheva as head of market engagement, focused on healthcare.
> Doctivity Health welcomed Steven Strongwater, M.D., to its advisory board.
> Max Baumer has joined Healthcasts, an online community for healthcare professionals, as chief financial officer and chief operating officer.
> Polsinelli hired Stephen Bittinger, Allessandra Stewart and Melissa Yates as healthcare litigators focused on reimbursement and payer disputes to its healthcare practice in Charleston, South Carolina.
> Clifton Porter’s term as president and CEO of the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living began Oct. 14.
> Isabelle Bibet-Kalinyak joined law firm Pullman & Comey's healthcare practice as partner.
> Cathleen McCabe, M.D., has joined Bausch + Lomb in the new role of chief medical adviser.