AccentCare Announces New COO; Humana Names First Chief Health Equity Officer

AccentCare appoints Chris Dimos as COO

AccentCare has named Chris Dimos its chief operating officer.

Dallas-based AccentCare has over 200 locations across the U.S. As a company, it provides skilled home health and personal care services, along with hospice care, private-duty nursing and care management services.

Prior to joining AccentCare, Dimos was the president of retail solutions at McKesson Pharmaceutical Solutions and Services, a segment of McKesson Corp. (NYSE: MCK). Before that, he served as president of Supervalu Pharmacies and Non-Foods Merchandising.

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Dimos joins the company at a time of transformation, according to Steve Rodgers, CEO of AccentCare.

“2020 was a breakout year for the company,” Rodgers said in a press release. “I look forward to the innovative business solutions Chris will bring and a fresh perspective to the changing care in the home and how it’s delivered.”

Dimos’ appointment as COO comes on the heels of AccentCare’s merger with Rosemont, Illinois-based Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care. The deal was officially finalized last month.

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In addition to growing its operations, the merger also increases AccentCare’s hospice line, which was a roughly $70 million business prior to the deal.

Humana names chief health equity officer

Dr. Nwando Olayiwola has joined Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) as its first senior vice president and chief health equity officer.

Louisville, Kentucky-based Humana is both a payer and in-home care provider. Its home-based care business lines include Humana At Home and Kindred at Home, the largest home health provider in the U.S., according to LexisNexis.

In her new role, Olayiwola will lead Humana’s health equity efforts across all lines of business. She will also focus on integrating cultural sensitivity in the company’s clinical programs, products and services.

“Dr. Olayiwola is highly regarded as an innovator and expert in harnessing technology to increase access to care for underserved and disenfranchised populations, as well as designing and implementing impactful clinical programs to address the personal needs and challenges people face in achieving their best health,” Dr. William Shrank, Humana’s chief medical and corporate affairs officer, said in a press release. “We are fortunate to have her join us to expand and enhance Humana’s work on health equity.”

Previously, Olayiwola was chair and professor in the department of family and community medicine at the Ohio State University College of Medicine. Prior to that, she served as the chief clinical transformation officer for RubiconMD.

Olayiwola’s new role at Humana comes at a time when health disparities are in the spotlight.

Black, Indigenous and Hispanic Americans have been 1.32, 2.03, and 1.69 times more likely to contract COVID-19 than white Americans, according to Boston University’s COVID Tracking Project. Cases within those groups are also more likely to result in death from the virus.

Addus announces new board members

Addus HomeCare Corporation (Nasdaq: ADUS) has announced that Veronica Hill-Milbourne and Dr. Esteban López have been appointed to the company’s board of directors.

Frisco, Texas-based Addus provides home care, home health and hospice services to about 45,000 consumers, through 215 locations in 23 states.

In addition to her new position, Hill-Milbourne is the president and CEO of Spectrum Health Services Inc. Meanwhile, López serves as Google Cloud’s “Americas” market lead of health care and life sciences.

“We welcome Veronica and Esteban to the Addus board of directors as new independent directors,” Dirk Allison, president and CEO of Addus, said in a statement. “Their collective health care business experience and knowledge as health care professionals will provide valuable insight as we continue to expand our reach in the home care market. They each bring unique talents that will complement the work of our existing board members.”

López previously served as CMO for clinical strategy and innovation for Health Care Service Corporation, the fourth-largest health insurer in the U.S. and the nation’s largest member-owned health insurance company.

Hill-Milbourne previously served as CEO and state director for Pathways by Atar Capital.

St. Croix Hospice announces CFO

St. Croix Hospice has named Stephen Phenneger as president and chief financial officer. Prior to his appointment, Phenneger had been serving as interim CFO since March 2020.

Minnesota-based St. Croix operates across six states. Last year, the company also added five de novo locations, as well as several others the prior year.

Phenneger was instrumental in the hospice providers’ COVID-19 response.

“Stephen brings an incredibly diverse background in health care finance and operations to St. Croix Hospice,” Heath Bartness, the company’s CEO, said in a press release. “He understands and appreciates the value St. Croix Hospice brings to the patients, families and communities we serve.”

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