FirstLight Adds Executives to Fuel Growth, Amedisys Board Member Retires

FirstLight expands leadership team amid rapid growth

To accommodate recent growth, FirstLight Home Care has created and filled seven new positions, expanding its focus in areas such as technology, talent acquisition and franchise development.

While the hires are new, growth within the nine-year-old Cincinnati-based home care company is not. In 2017 alone, the franchisor increased revenue by 29% and location growth by 27%. FirstLight — which was also named one of the best franchises to buy in 2019 — went on to continue that expansion in 2018, when the franchisor added dozens of new locations.

Now, with about 260 franchise locations across the country, the company is looking to continue entering into new areas — domestically and abroad — in the year ahead.

FirstLight’s five newly appointed directors are poised to help make that happen.

Kim McGraw, who spent more than 20 years at Procter & Gamble, is joining the team as the executive director of talent acquisition, HR and client services.

Meanwhile, Jamie Davis and Michelle Miserez are joining FirstLight’s franchise development team.

Davis — who previously worked as executive director of franchise development for education franchise Primrose Schools — will serve in the same capacity at FirstLight. Meanwhile, Miserez — who comes to FirstLight from Edible Arrangements — will serve under Davis as the director of franchise development.

Additionally, Perry Pruett has been named the company’s new executive director of technology platform services. He brings more than 30 years of operations and IT experience within the home care and health care industries to the job.

Finally, Kerri Pendley, who has more than 18 years of experience in health care operations and business development, is joining FirstLight as the new director of health care strategy.

Other new hires include Caroline Hodson, senior business analyst of technology platform, and Amy Swan, FirstLight’s new national alliances coordinator.

Amedisys board member retiring

Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based Amedisys Inc. (Nasdaq: AMED), one of the largest independent home health care companies in the country, is losing a veteran member of its board of directors.

After six years on the Amedisys board, Linda Hall will retire June 7 when her term ends.

“As chair of the Compliance Committee, her unique combination of intelligence and perceptiveness made her extremely effective at identifying the compliance risks facing the company and helping to mitigate them,” Amedisys Chief Compliance Officer David Pearce said in a press release.

The news comes as Amedisys continues to its push into the hospice space, which will likely see increased compliance and regulatory oversight in the year ahead. The home health company recently signed an agreement to acquire RoseRock Healthcare after closing on its $340 million acquisition of Compassionate Care Hospice earlier in February.

Hall will continue to consult for Amedisys for a year after her retirement begins.

Aging Life Care Association of New York elects new president

The Aging Life Care Association (ALCA) of New York, part of a nonprofit association that provides geriatric care services to seniors, has elected a new chapter president.

Anne Markowitz Recht began her two-year term Jan. 1.

Recht is the founder and CEO of Jericho, New York-based AMR Care Group, which provides a spectrum of home-based services to hundreds of clients.

In her new role, Recht will help educate and lead geriatric care managers throughout the state of New York.