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.
Acadia Healthcare
Christopher Hunter has been tapped by Acadia Healthcare’s board of directors to serve as its next CEO, starting April 11.
With over 20 years of experience across multiple sectors, Hunter comes to the role fresh from a stint as president of Humana’s group, military and specialty segment overseeing roughly $7 billion in revenue. Prior to that, he’d served for nearly five years as the payer’s chief strategy officer in charge of corporate strategy, merger and acquisitions and partnership activities.
Hunter also held leadership roles at TriZetto, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee and Online Health.
He’s taking over for Acadia’s former CEO Debbie Osteen, who announced her retirement in October but signed on for a few more months in February.
According to the company, Osteen will be assisting with the transition and will remain on Acadia’s board of directors.
Quorum Health
Chris Harrison has been promoted from senior vice president of financial planning and analysis to the role of chief financial officer at Brentwood, Tennessee-based Quorum Health.
Harrison joined the company in 2020 as a certified public accountant with financial management and operations experience across other large healthcare providers.
Coming most recently from a vice president role at Surgery Partners, his resume also includes top positions at Beaumont Health, LifePoint Health and HCA Healthcare.
Harrison’s role at the 21-hospital organization was held by Louis Robichaux on an interim basis since August of last year. The two will be working together during a transitional period to acclimate Harrison to the new role.
LifePoint Health
Tizgel High received a promotion from deputy compliance officer to chief compliance officer for LifePoint Health.
She joined the community, rehabilitation and behavioral hospital operator back in 2012 as an assistant general counsel and subsequently took on more roles such as vice president, associate general counsel before stepping into the deputy role in early 2020.
Prior to joining up, she had counseled on operations at Community Health Systems and practiced healthcare law with legal firms including King & Spalding.
High—who last year received LifePoint’s Mercy Award for employees “who demonstrate the caring spirit and reflect the values on which the company was founded”—will now be leading the organization’s ethics and compliance team. She will be responsible for encouraging and maintaining ethical business practices, regulatory and legal compliance, and general workplace integrity.
DrChrono
Brent Michael is set to step into the role of president at DrChrono, a mobile-friendly electronic health record, practice management and billing platform recently acquired by the healthcare vertical of software-as-a-service company EverCommerce, EverHealth.
Michael joins the company with decades of sales and executive leadership experience across the healthcare IT landscape. He most recently headed ophthalmology tech company Eye Care Leaders as chief commercial officer and CEO, and has held other top roles at CareFusion, NDS Surgical Imaging and GE Healthcare.
Reporting to the general manager of EverHealth, Michael is set to promote product innovations at DrChrono as well as to oversee and introduce new digital capabilities to other EverHealth products focused on electronic health records, practice management and revenue cycle management. These include EverHealth’s iSalus and Allmeds.
> Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), a customer-owned health insurer and independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association licensee, announced Chief Operating Officer Opella Ernest, M.D., has taken on a new role as executive vice president of HCSC commercial markets, while Senior Vice President of Pharmacy and Ancillary Business Mike Frank, will take her former chief operating officer role. Additionally, Executive Vice President of commercial markets Jeff Tikkanen is transitioning to an advisory role until his retirement next March, Stephen Harris has been named plan president of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois and Stephania Grober will step up as plan president of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oklahoma on May 1.
> TimelyMD, a virtual health platform for college and university students, named Bob Booth, M.D., as chief care officer.
> The More in Common Alliance, a partnership between CommonSpirit Health and Morehouse School of Medicine, tapped Meghan Frost as system vice president of philanthropy and campaigns.
> Kyruus, a provider search and scheduling platform, named Gail Airaisian to the new role of general manager of emerging markets.
> HCA Florida Oak Hill Hospital promoted Ken Wicker to CEO, replacing the retiring Mickey Smith.
> HCA Florida St. Petersburg Hospital named George Makhoul as chief operating officer.
> Beyond Type 1, a nonprofit diabetes advocacy and research organization, appointed Deborah Dugan as its next CEO, effective April 18.
> Appalachian Regional Healthcare announced Anthony Sudduth as Kentucky River Regional CEO, in charge of its hospitals in three counties.
> The Infectious Diseases Society of America unveiled Ty Johnson as its chief operating officer.
> The Westchester Medical Center Health Network named Matilde Romas as senior vice president, chief equity, inclusion and diversity officer, and John Brand as senior vice president for marking and communications.
> Alignment Healthcare, a Medicare Advantage insurer, expanded the roles of Markets President and CEO of Alignment Health Plan California Dawn Maroney and Chief Medical and Operating Officer Dinesh Kumar, M.D.
> Beth Israel Lahey Health, in Massachusetts, announced Kristen Lepore as executive vice president and chief administrative officer.
> NYC Health + Hospitals CEO and President Mitchell Katz, M.D., was renominated and confirmed to continue leading the public health system.
> Conformis, a maker of knee and hip replacement systems, tapped Michael Fillion as chief operating officer.
> University of Missouri Health Care named Katrina Lambrecht as chief operating officer.
> Greenway Health, a health IT company, announced Tiffani Misencik as chief revenue officer.
> Waterbury Health, in Connecticut, announced Greta Boynton, M.D., as chief medical officer and senior vice president.
> Texas Oncology named Michael Teneriello, M.D., as chief surgical officer of its newly established Texas Oncology Surgical Specialties organization.
> NEA Baptist Health System, in Arkansas, reportedly tapped Stephen Woodruff, M.D., as chief medical officer.
> Tower Health, in Pennsylvania, named Charles Barbera, M.D., as president and CEO of its Reading Hospital.
> Manatt, Phelps & Philips brought on Tara Straw and Zoe Barnard as senior advisors in its Manatt Health Group.
> Binx Health, a health tech and diagnostics company, appointed Jack Crowley as chief financial officer.
> RapidAI, an imaging and artificial intelligence company, unveiled GE Healthcare vet Amit Phadnis as its chief innovation and technology officer.
> CONNEQT Health, a consumer heart health brand under parent company CardieX, brought on Jack Seitz as chief medical officer and Lara Rosenbaum as senior director of content strategy.
> Tia, a consumer-friendly women’s health provider, added Adaeze Enekwechi to its board of directors.
> Neura Health, a virtual neurology clinic, named Noom veteran Cary Sears as head of care coaching.