New Directors at Iowa River, Home Health of the Ozarks; C-Suite Shifts at Elara Caring, VIA Health

Home Health of the Ozarks and Hospice of Care Names New Director

Missouri-based Texas County Memorial Hospital (TCMH) has appointed Cheryl Maley, registered nurse, as new director of Home Health of the Ozarks and Hospice of Care.

Maley joined the hospital system’s home health department in 2012 as a certified nurse assistant, later becoming a registered nurse. She was most recently a case manager at Hospice of Care, holding the same position at Home Health of the Ozarks prior to that.

“Promoting Cheryl into this position will be a smooth transition for our staff and patients,” Courtney Owens, TCMH chief nursing officer, said in a statement. “Maley is a ‘homegrown’ director, working throughout her career at TCMH and up through the various patient care areas to the director position.”

The acute care hospital’s Hospice of Care program provides home- and facility-based services in Texas County, Missouri and eight surrounding counties. The nonprofit hospice is supported by TCMH Healthcare Foundation’s Hospice Memorial Fund.

Home Health of the Ozarks offers home-based services across the same 40-mile geographic region, including skilled nursing, personal care, respite, medical social services and rehabilitation therapies.

Iowa River Hospice Names New Executive Director

Iowa River Hospice has named registered nurse Shauna Callaway as its new executive director.

Callaway previously worked as a nurse manager of UnityPoint Health. Prior to that, she was administrator of nursing at Iowa Veterans Home. She joins the organization with a background in social work and has been in the health care field for roughly 25 years.

Though new to the hospice arena, Callaway has previously served in both the home health and acute care spaces and has seen how care collaborations across the continuum can improve the quality of end-of-life care among aging populations.

“I believe education is a part of what we can do as far as supporting individuals at end of life [and] adding resources, but even educating them before they get to that point of what supports are out there so they feel like when they enter this point of their life, they do feel like they’re informed of what’s available,” Callaway told local news.

Established in 1983, the nonprofit hospice provides end-of-life care services in Marshalltown, Iowa and surrounding communities in the central part of the state. Iowa River Hospice provides community- and facility-based hospice to patients in the home or in hospital, assisted living or nursing facilities.

The organization also operates an inpatient hospice center, which launched in 2009 and features six patient suites in a home-like environment.

Callaway will oversee Iowa River Hospice’s staff of roughly 60 employees and build upon existing partnerships with local community organizations.

“I just feel that being the only local hospice here, having those connections with other local agencies and being able to provide that continuum of care is key to health care here and being able to support other agencies that are also providing care and (figuring) out how we work together,”

Elara Caring Appoints Chief Development Officer

Elara Caring has created a new executive position to maximize its strategic growth plans across the home health landscape.

The Dallas-based home-based care provider recently announced that Brent Nash will fill the organization’s new chief development officer role. Nash has held the same title at U.S. Behavioral Partners, a management company for the mental health services provider Springstone.

He was previously vice president of development at Lifepoint Health, also working in corporate development at Humana (NYSE: HUM). Nash began his career at Goldman Sachs and Genstar Capital, serving in investment banking and private equity roles.

“I am thrilled to be part of the remarkable Elara team which is delivering essential care through innovative home-based care models,” Nash said in an announcement. “I look forward to driving the development and growth of the services Elara provides, one of the few opportunities I’ve seen in my career where meeting patient needs also drives systemic value.”

Elara Caring provides home health, hospice, palliative and personal care services, behavioral health to nearly 60,000 patients and families across 200 locations in 17 states.

The company has been on a growth trajectory for the last year, building “capacities in key regions” to reach a broader base of patient populations, the company indicated in the announcement.

Elara Caring earlier this month announced the acquisition of Illinois-based American Family Home Health. Purchasing the skilled home health provider added to the company’s existing presence in the Midwest. In April, Elara Caring purchased Assisted Daily Living Inc., a Rhode Island-based provider, marking its entry into the state.

The hospice and home health provider also recently invested in new technologies and leadership development programs, moves aimed at strengthening recruitment and retention. Elara Caring saw its caregiver workforce grow by 21% during the second quarter as a result of these efforts.

“At Elara, we’re utilizing a world-class value-based care model and cutting-edge technologies to scale the delivery of home-based care, improving outcomes for patients, referrers and payers,” Elara CEO and Chairman Scott Powers said. “With this momentum, we’re attracting highly experienced and passionate professionals like Brent who will further build on our successes and, bigger picture, drive transformation across the home health industry.”

VIA Health Partners Taps New Chief Strategy Officer

VIA Health Partners has appointed Dean Forman as its vice president and chief strategy officer.

Formerly Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region, VIA Health Partners currently serves 32 counties in North and South Carolina. The newly-created role is part of the hospice and palliative care provider’s goals to expand into new markets and build payer relationships with health plans.

A driving force behind his hire was Forman’s experience managing advanced chronic illness populations at lower costs and improved quality outcomes, indicated Peter Brunnick, president and CEO of VIA Health Partners.

“We are delighted to welcome Dean to our organization,” Brunnick said in a statement. “With over 20 years of experience in hospice executive leadership, business development, and operations, Dean brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our team. He will undoubtedly drive our mission forward and contribute to our continued growth and success in addressing the hospice and palliative care needs of the communities we serve.”

Prior to joining the organization, Forman was chief operating officer at Chapters Health System, which affiliated with Capital Caring Health late last year. He was also executive director and vice president of operations at Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care of Maryland, now part of AccentCare through a 2020 merger.

Forman will play a key role in navigating VIA Health’s regulatory and government affairs at both state and national levels.

VIA Health Partners was established in 1978 as Hospice at Charlotte. The nonprofit offers community-based serious illness and end-of-life care, and also operates five inpatient hospice facilities in North Carolina and one in South Carolina. Aside from hospice and palliative care, VIA Health Partners also has pediatric, dementia and veterans care programs.