Hospices coast-to-coast have undergone leadership transitions, including changes in legal executives and a slew of newly appointed CEOs, among other roles in the industry.

Former NAHC President Joins New Day Healthcare, Law Firm

Bill Dombi has recently stepped into two new roles following his retirement as president of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC).

New Day Healthcare LLC announced that Dombi recently joined its board of advisors. Texas-based New Day provides home health, hospice, palliative and personal care services across 31 locations in Illinois, Kansas, Missouri and in its home state.

“We are thrilled and honored to add Bill Dombi to our board of advisors,” said New Day Founder and CEO G. Scott Herman said in a statement shared with Hospice News. “Bill is an icon in the industry and a staunch Medicare beneficiary advocate, always putting patients first and fighting for their rights and benefits. His insights will be invaluable as we continue to innovate home care and ‘Burn the Ships’ to rethink and redesign care delivery models.”

Dombi’s 37-year tenure at NAHC ended prior to its merger with the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) in 2023, which led to development of the combined organization the National Alliance for Care at Home.

He currently serves on the board of directors of the Research Institute for Home Care, formerly the Alliance for Home Health Quality & Innovation, and also on the Hospice & Home Care Foundation of North Carolina.

In addition to his new role at New Day, Dombi has been tapped as a senior counsel for the law firm Arnall Golden Gregory (AGG), where he specializes in home health, hospice, post-acute and long-term care litigation. He is licensed to practice in Connecticut and in Washington, DC., as well as the U.S. Supreme Court and several Courts of Appeals, among other federal courts. Dombi is also a member of the American Health Lawyers Association and the American Bar Association.

Dombi has litigated home health care policy matters since 1976. He served as lead counsel in the lawsuit that resulted in expanded Medicare home health coverage in 1980 and played a “pivotal” role in the establishment of the Medicare Hospice Benefit in 1983, according to AGG. He was instrumental in the development of the Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS), which emerged in home health reimbursement in 2000.

“It’s not a stretch to say that Bill is the face of the home health care space and the standard-bearer for advocating on its behalf, whether in state or federal court or through his deep-rooted experience and relationships within Congress and various federal agencies,” AGG Healthcare Litigation Co-chair Jason Bring said in an announcement shared with Hospice News. “In addition to tackling major policy issues, Bill has fiercely defended providers and patients in litigation across the country.”

Helios Care President, CEO to Resign

Helios Care President and CEO Dan Ayres recently announced his resignation. Ayres will continue to serve in his current role until April 21, 2025.

Ayres has led the New York-based hospice and senior care provider for the last eight years. Ayres cited several factors leading to his decision to depart from Helios Care in a recent statement.

“The opportunity provides a variety of benefits as I enter my remaining working years, and prepares my wife and I for retirement,” Ayres said. “Although many personal factors were in consideration, I am not leaving Helios Care because I am unhappy. To the contrary, I am very proud of the organization and where we are positioned in the local health care environment. I am very proud of all that we have accomplished, and [I] know that the course is set for future success, regardless of who is at the helm. The leadership team is solid, the team is experienced and has a culture of compassion, caring and innovation.”

Catskill Area Hospice & Palliative Care, established in 1983, rebranded as Helios Care in 2019. The rebranding move was intended to better reflect the organization’s growing range of services and expanding hospice reach. Helios Care now serves three counties in New York.

The nonprofit organization in 2023 established a new cooperative partnership with Basset Healthcare Network, a move that marked an important milestone in its strategic growth. The two organizations have since worked together to ensure earlier hospice and palliative referrals, reduced hospitalizations and readmissions and have built a strong organizational infrastructure.

Arkansas Hospice Taps New CEO

Arkansas Hospice has named Dr. Brian Bell as its new president and CEO. He succeeds Judith Wooten, who will retire this year.

Bell previously served as the nonprofit hospice provider’s vice president and chief medical officer since 2016.

The nonprofit organization provides hospice, palliative care and advanced care planning services across 44 counties in Arkansas. Additionally, Arkansas Hospice in 2022 acquired First Choice Senior Care, which provides personal care services and assistance with medication management, meal preparation, assistance with daily activities of life and companionship.

“Dr. Bell’s experience and proven leadership in both clinical and managerial roles make him the ideal candidate to lead our organization as we start our next chapter,” Rhonda Finnie, chair of Arkansas Hospice’s board of directors, said in a statement. “On behalf of the entire board, we congratulate him and thank Judy Wooten for her tireless dedication. She led Arkansas Hospice through tremendous growth and navigated the organization through COVID, regulatory challenges and a changing healthcare environment with tremendous compassion and commitment to our mission.”

Prior to joining Arkansas Hospice, Bell was the post-acute medical director at Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System. Entering the hospice field in 2006, he has held clinical and leadership roles at Hospice of the Carolina Foothills, among other organizations. Bell currently serves on the National Alliance for Care at Home’s Professional Education Committee.

Evolving Roles Among YoloCares Leaders

YoloCares has appointed Adi “Dee” Rasilau as the new manager of its residential hospice shelter for homeless populations, branded as Joshua House.

The California-based hospice provider in October 2024 received nearly $1.14 million in philanthropic funding to launch the shelter. The location is set to open in late spring or summer of 2025 and will feature a 15-bed, five-cottage facility in South Natomas, California. The shelter will offer hospice care and other services for terminally ill homeless individuals in need of food, clothing, shelter and end-of-life care.

Rasilau joined YoloCares in 2023, serving as manager of its volunteer program, increasing its volunteer base 60% and nearly doubling the amount of therapeutic hours provided by these teams. She will work closely with Chris Erdman, director of YoloCares’ Center for Loss & Hope and Joshua House, to develop the shelter’s infrastructure, onboard staff and volunteers and cultivate partnerships with health systems and social service agencies, among other community organizations.

“With a strong background in hospice care, patient advocacy, and leadership, Rasilau also brings extensive lived experience working with unhoused individuals, making her uniquely suited to lead Joshua’s House with both expertise and empathy,” Erdman said in an announcement shared with Hospice News.

In addition to the leadership shift at Joshua House, YoloCares also recently announced that CEO Craig Dresang has joined the board of directors at the Coalition for Compassionate Care of California (CCCC). The organization’s board members help guide its strategic planning and major business decisions, oversee financial operations and promote its growth and sustainability.

“Craig Dresang is a transformational leader, author and columnist on end-of-life issues,” the CCCC board of directors stated on its website. “During his tenure in hospice and palliative medicine, he has built four hospice residences, while also raising the $40 million needed for their construction. He is an accomplished executive with expertise in business development, marketing, relationship management, visioning, operational excellence, fundraising and strategic planning.”

Dresang has helped boost YoloCares’ average daily census volume to more than 300 patients, up from 62 patients previously before he joined the nonprofit organization. The hospice provider became the first organization in northern California to be accredited in community-based palliative care services.

Dresang previously served as senior vice president Illinois-based JourneyCare, as well as the chief development officer of Alexian Brothers AIDS Care in Chicago and executive director of the Unicorn Children’s Foundation.