New CMOs for Hospice of the Chesapeake, Care Synergy; HopeWest Taps New VP

Hospice of the Chesapeake Appoints New CMO

Maryland-based Hospice of the Chesapeake recently named Dr. Marny Fetzer as its new chief medical officer.

Fetzer is currently system medical director for palliative care and hospice services at Illinois-based Ascension Health. She will step into the role at Hospice of the Chesapeake in July, alongside seeking a master of business administration from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

“I am excited to join the executive team at Hospice of the Chesapeake and support future growth of the organization as well as continue to ensure the delivery of the highest-quality supportive and hospice care to the community,” Fetzer said.

In her new role, Fetzer will provide leadership direction to the nonprofit organization’s medical staff. Other responsibilities include implementing the hospice’s strategic direction and effecting cultural change among clinical team members.

Hospice of the Chesapeake provides services in four Maryland counties along the west coast region of the state. Its affiliates Calvert Hospice and Hospice of Charles County unified under the organization’s main brand in April. The move allowed for greater consistency across communities within its service region, according to the hospice provider.

Fetzer was previously associate medical director at Rainbow Hospice and Palliative Care, now part of the AMITA Health system. Her past roles since 2012 have included clinical and executive positions in emergency and palliative medicine, as well as in hospice.

She has also presented and published literature on the different types of supportive services, including palliative, hospice, acute and post-acute care.

Fetzer’s experience in communicating the importance of community-based advanced illness and end-of-life care was a “key factor” in having her ascend into the CMO role, according to Michael Brady, president and CEO at Hospice of the Chesapeake.

She is also known for recruiting and building strong clinical teams, particularly physicians and advanced practice nurses, according to Brady.

“We are honored that Dr. Fetzer will be joining us,” Brady said in a statement. “We wholeheartedly believe she will bring a tremendous amount of knowledge, compassion and medical expertise to our executive leadership team as we focus on the future of Hospice of the Chesapeake.”

Hospice Collaborative Care Synergy Taps New CMO

Dr. Robert Howe is stepping in as chief medical officer for Care Synergy, a group of nonprofit hospice, home health and palliative care providers in Colorado.

Howe oversees a newly-formed medical group that includes all providers across the Care Synergy network. The purpose of the reorganization is to improve collaboration, share best practices and better support all of its health care providers amid growth.

Howe joined the organization in 2022 as CMO of The Denver Hospice, an affiliate of Care Synergy. He’ll continue to serve as CMO of both organizations. Other affiliates in the collaborative include Pathways Hospice and Pikes Peak Hospice and Palliative Care, along with home health provider The Colorado Visiting Nurse Association.

“Dr. Howe has done an outstanding job partnering with, and leading teams of specially trained clinical staff at The Denver Hospice,” Tim Bowen, president and CEO of Care Synergy, said in an announcement. “His passion for caring for patients with advanced and terminal illnesses, as well as his collaborative approach to working with all clinical staff, including providers across the enterprise, makes him uniquely suited for this expanded leadership role.”

Care Synergy sprouted roots in 2021. Each provider operates as its own distinct and independent entity while working together to share best practices and generate cost-sharing efficiencies in a strategic collaboration.

The collaborative provides a shared pool of services such as accounting, payroll, revenue cycle and treasury management, information technology (IT), human resources, compliance, education, and marketing and communications.

Dr. Howe has more than 14 years of experience in hospice. He was previously medical director at Compassus since 2017. He served in the same role prior to that at Optum Hospice since 2010.

HopeWest Names New Vice President

Colorado-based HopeWest has named Lindsay Kampfer as its vice president of hospice and palliative care.

Kampfer currently leads HopeWest’s efforts to provide more care options to patients and families in communities across its service region in Grand Junction, Colorado. The organization operates an inpatient hospice facility in that area. She is responsible for developing programs to meet the needs of the community.

In addition to hospice, HopeWest also provides palliative care and grief support services across an 8,000 square-mile region of western Colorado.

“She is a highly experienced and respected leader in the field of hospice and palliative care, and her passion for helping others is truly inspiring,” HopeWest President and CEO Cassie Mitchell said in a recent press release. “I am confident that she will be a tremendous asset to HopeWest and to the community.”

Kampfer was previously assistant vice president of Bluegrass Care Navigators’ PACE program. She has been employed at the organization for nearly a decade, serving in roles such as counseling resource officer and executive director.

Paradigm Health Makes C-Suite Transitions

Paradigm Health’s executive team has seen some recent shake-ups.

The Indiana-based hospice and palliative care provider has named Andrew Worswick as its new president and CEO upon the retirement of Jeff Jarecki, who founded the company and led the company since 2013. Jarecki announced his retirement last year.

“Paradigm Health will remain mission-driven, and our main focus will be to support and invest in our caregiving team,” Worswick said in a statement. “We strive to prioritize making our team feel valued, heard and supported along our mission to become the employer of choice. In turn, this investment into our team translates into unparalleled customer service and quality care along our journey to become the provider of choice for patients and families needing hospice or palliative care.”

Paradigm Health provides hospice and palliative care across central Indiana.

Worswick has served as chief operating officer of Paradigm Health for the last five years. Jenna Grimes will replace him in that role, the company’s chief compliance officer since 2020. She has also served as an occupational therapist and director of administrative operations for the company.

Worswick took a similar circuitous route at Paradigm Health since she joined the company in 2015, holding roles such as physical therapist and administrator.

ProMedica Appoints Chief Human Resources Officer

ProMedica has appointed Floyd Chasse as its new chief human resources officer. 

Chasse most recently held the same role at Erlanger Health System. Prior to that, he was vice president of at two different health systems in Michigan and Kansas. 

“We are pleased to welcome Floyd to our team as chief human resources officer,” ProMedica CEO Arturo Polizzi said in a news release. “Given his knowledge in [the] realm of health system human resources, we are confident that he will be an exceptional leader as we work to continuously strengthen our human resources operations.”

The nonprofit health system recently agreed to sell off its affiliate Heartland Hospice, along with other assets, in a $710 million acquisition by hospice, palliative care and personal care provider Gentiva. 

ProMedica includes a network of 13 hospitals, 2,600 physicians, a health plan, 400 skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers, memory care communities and outpatient rehabilitation clinics.