A range of new hospice executives have been recently tapped to lead organizations nationwide.
AAHPM Announces New President-Elect
Dr. Arif Kamal recently became the new president-elect of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM).
Kamal became director-at-large at the academy in 2018. He is also the inaugural chief patient officer at the American Cancer Society and serves as an associate consulting professor of medicine at the Duke Cancer Institute.
“As the incoming president of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, I’m excited to be a part of the search for the next visionary to lead AAHPM,” Kamal said in a LinkedIn post. “With a robust and growing membership and an engaged board, the Academy is strongly positioned to be a leading voice for hospice and palliative care physicians and professionals.”
Established in 1988, AAHPM is a professional organization for hospice and palliative care clinicians, social workers and other health and spiritual care providers in the space.
Prior to joining AAHPM, Kamal was a fellow at the American Society of Clinical Oncology. He also served as an advisor at Acclivity Health Solutions Inc.
Kamal began his medical career at the Mayo Clinic before becoming co-founder and CEO of Prepped Health. He was also a member of the Palliative and End-of-Life Care Standing Committee at the National Quality Forum.
Catholic Hospice Taps New Executive Director
Florida-based Catholic Hospice has appointed Diana Smith-Lopez as its new executive director.
Smith-Lopez previously served as senior director of hospice operations at the nonprofit organization, which is an affiliate of Catholic Health Services.
In her new role, Smith-Lopez works to enhance daily operations at Catholic Hospice, integrate policies that improve quality and ensure a seamless experience for patients and their families.
“Diana is committed to advancing the organization’s mission and vision of delivering compassionate care at the end of life,” Catholic Hospice stated in an announcement. “She is focused on empowering staff and strengthening community outreach to ensure the organization continues to lead with compassion and excellence.”
Smith-Lopez has more than 26 years of experience in hospice and palliative care, beginning her career as a registered nurse before taking on leadership roles. Prior to joining Catholic Hospice, she served as senior general manager at VITAS Healthcare in Palm Beach, Florida. The hospice provider has inpatient care centers at Holy Cross Hospital, St. Catherine’s West Rehabilitation Hospital and St. Anne’s Nursing Center.
Catholic Health Services provides home health, hospice, palliative care, skilled nursing and assisted living services, as well as acute rehabilitation in hospital and outpatient settings. The nonprofit health system has provided care across southern Florida for nearly 40 years and has an average daily census of more than 7,500 patients.
Former Amedisys Executive Joins National Alliance for Care at Home’s C-Suite
The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) has named Scott Levy as its new chief government affairs officer.
Levy previously held the same role at Amedisys (Nasdaq: AMED), holding leadership positions in government affairs for nearly a decade at the large hospice and home health company. He has more than 20 years of experience in government relations, public policy, advocacy and law.
Levy has served as an associate attorney at Adams and Reese LLP, and he has held public service roles with all branches of government at both the state and federal level.
“Scott Levy is an extraordinary addition to our leadership team,” Dr. Steve Landers, CEO of the Alliance, said in a press release. “He brings a deep understanding of health care policy, politics and a great sensitivity to the intersection of public policy and health care operations and how policy impacts patients and families. His track record of success, combined with his dedication to improving care at home, makes him an invaluable addition to our team.”
In his new role, Levy leads the Alliance’s efforts to drive impactful legislative and regulatory changes that expand access to quality home care across the nation’s swelling aging and seriously ill populations. Under his leadership, the Alliance aims to strengthen its ability to represent and empower providers while ensuring greater access to home-based care for patients and their loved ones.
Levy oversees a team of the organization’s advocacy professionals and works closely with policymakers, industry stakeholders and grassroots networks to address reimbursement challenges, regulatory hurdles, quality and program integrity improvements, and advancement of innovative care models.
New C-Suite, VP Executives at Traditions Health
Three new c-suite executives have taken the helm at Tennessee-based Traditions Health.
Corrinne Ehlert has become the health system’s new chief clinical and quality officer. She oversees initiatives designed to improve clinical outcomes and enhance patient care at Traditions Health.
Ehlert most recently served as chief compliance officer at U.S. Urology Partners and has more than 30 years of clinical leadership and health care innovation experience. She began her health care career as a registered nurse for a Las Vegas-based nonprofit hospice. Ehlert has also led compliance, quality and clinical operations in hospice and palliative care at several private-equity backed companies.
“Corrinne is an experienced health care leader with proven success in improving performance and outcomes,” Traditions Health CEO Brian Lantier said in a press release. “She brings a broad and deep expertise in quality and clinical operational excellence to Traditions Health.”
Franklin, Tennessee-headquartered Traditions provides hospice, home health and palliative care as well as consulting services across 18 states.
Traditions Health is a portfolio company of the private investment firm Dorilton Capital. The hospice provider topped Inc. magazine’s 2024 list of fastest-growing private companies in the United States. The company in 2008 opened its first location in Texas.
The health system also recently named Toby Radabaugh as the new vice president of operations for its hospice service lines.
Radabaugh oversees hospice operations across five states in Traditions Health’s service region and is responsible for strategic financial goals and streamlining operational efficiencies. She also supports the hospice care team by helping to ensure high standards of program operations and implementation of the organization’s strategic, operational and growth initiatives.
Radabaugh has more than 25 years of health care operations experience in health care operations. She most recently served as vice president of operations at Caregiver Inc., and has held roles at Compassus and Gentiva.
“I am delighted to welcome Toby to the team,” Tom Moreland, senior vice president of hospice operations at Traditions Health, said in an announcement. “Her leadership experience and passion for the post-acute care industry will further elevate the quality of end-of-life care we provide.”
Traditions Health also made a third executive announcement with the appointment of Jeffrey Clagg its new vice president of hospice sales.
Clagg develops, directs and manages the overall sales structure and operations across Traditions Health’s geographic service regions in Oklahoma and north Texas. He is also responsible for increasing market share and driving innovation.
Clagg’s 15 years of health care experience includes roles at Compassus, Three Oaks Hospice and A Path of Care.
“I am delighted to welcome Jeffrey to the team in such a critical role,” Traditions Health Chief Growth Officer Kim Baldwin said in a statement. “He brings a wealth of knowledge in business development and has a proven track record of growing strategic relationships in the hospice market.”
Companies featured in this article:
American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Catholic Health Services, Catholic Hospice, National Alliance for Care at Home, Traditions Health