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.
Aledade
(Aledade)
Mandy Cohen, M.D., formerly the head of North Carolina’s Department of Health and Human Services, has entered the private sector with a new gig as the executive vice president of Aledade and the CEO of its new health services unit, Aledade Care Solutions.
Cohen spent the last five years shifting North Carolina’s Medicaid program to managed care, not to mention leading its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to that she was an internal medicine physician, chief operating officer and chief of staff at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
Her background should be an asset to Aledade, which uses data analytics software to help independent doctors’ offices transition to value-based models.
Cohen’s initial priorities will be to lead the company’s work to support patients enrolled in Medicaid programs served by Aledade providers. As the head of Aledade Care Solutions, she will also lead the implementation of targeted wraparound care solutions to support the more than a thousand primary care practices in Aledade’s nationwide network of accountable care organizations.
Cohen will step into the new roles in March.
Uber
(LinkedIn)
Michael Cantor, M.D., was named as the first-ever chief medical officer of Uber Health, the ride-hailing giant's healthcare arm.
Cantor comes to the role with more than 20 years of experience as a geriatrician and healthcare executive. He previously held chief medical officer roles at several healthcare and tech companies including Bright Health, CareCentrix and NEQCA.
Launched in 2018, Uber Health uses its tech platform to help organizations schedule nonemergency medical transportation (NEMT) for individuals who might have difficulties reaching appointments otherwise. Its dashboard and API offerings also include notes about patients’ specific needs that can be relayed to a driver.
Cantor said he has a personal connection to Uber Health’s mission, having helped his elderly mother with health needs including transportation barriers. The company expects that his first-hand experience with families and patients alike will help guide its developing business.
Vida Health
(Vida Health)
Patrick Carroll, M.D., has joined chronic disease management startup Vida Health as its new chief medical officer.
A family physician by practice and training, he comes to the digital health company after two and a half years in a similar role at Hims & Hers, where he oversaw all clinical programs, outcomes, patient safety and strategic initiatives as the company went public in early 2021.
Prior to that, Carroll also served as the chief medical officer of Walgreens and Hartford HealthCare’s clinical integration organization, Integrated Care Partners.
In the new role at Vida, he’ll be leading the startup’s clinical strategy and protocols, research, clinical partner collaboration and medical cost-saving strategy. He also will oversee Vida’s team of more than 1,000 providers who range from registered dietitians and diabetes educators to licensed therapists and certified health coaches.
CHI Health
(CHI Health)
E.J. Kuiper began new roles this month as the CEO of CHI Health and president of parent company CommonSpirit Health’s Midwest Division.
Initially a physical therapist, Kuiper was most recently the president and CEO of Hospital Sisters Health System Illinois, a nine-hospital organization of more than 1,150 acute care beds.
Preceding that role were president and CEO stints at Saint Anthony’s Health System and St. Anthony’s Health Center, both in Illinois, as well as a chief operating officer role for HCA Southwest Florida Regional Medical Center and Gulf Coast Hospital in Florida.
The new position sees Kuiper taking the reins of a 28-hospital system with two stand-alone behavioral health centers and over 150 employed physician practices across four Midwest states. Alongside strategic leadership and operational oversight responsibilities, he said he would be taking a hard look at reducing workforce wellness and turnover at the system.
Seattle Children’s made three new appointments to its leadership team: André Dick, M.D., as senior vice president and surgeon-in-chief; Bonnie Fryzlewicz as senior vice president and chief nursing officer; and Jeff Ojemann, M.D., as senior vice president and chief medical officer.
Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center named Sheila Collier as chief nursing officer.
HCA Healthcare tapped Erin Keister as division chief nurse executive of its Capital Division.
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics will see Kimberly Hunter, currently its chief nursing officer, step up as interim CEO after the departure of Suresh Gunasekaran.
Jvion, a prescriptive analytics company, expanded its leadership team to include Curt Thornton as chief growth officer, Leah Ray as chief customer officer and Jim Stansell as chief technology officer.
Nemours Children’s Health brought on Karen Marie Wilding to serve as chief value officer.
Maven Clinic, a virtual women’s and family health provider, announced Alex Peahl, M.D., as a visiting scientist and Ayotomiwa Ojo, M.D., as its first digital innovation fellow.
LifeOmic hired former California Chief Information Security Officer Peter Liebert to fill the same role at the cloud-based healthcare software company.
University of Vermont Health Network President and CEO John Brumsted, M.D., will retire at the end of September.
Arkansas Children’s raised Amy Fallon to the role of senior vice president of operations.
SideKick Health, a digital therapeutics company, announced Pamela Stahl as chief commercial officer and Mitchell Mudra as chief operating officer.
MyMichigan Health (previously MidMichigan Health) named Sunita Vadakath, M.D., as senior vice president and chief strategy officer.
Benchling, a biotech software company, added Paul Robson as president of field operations.