By the Bay Health, Calvary Announce CEO Departures; Elara Caring Grows Leadership Team

By the Bay Health CEO Steps Down

After nearly a decade in the role, California-based By the Bay Health CEO Kitty Whitaker recently announced plans to retire this spring.

Whitaker has been at the helm of the nonprofit since 2014, serving as COO prior to that. She became a hospice nurse for By the Bay Health in 1996, then named Hospice of Marin, taking on various roles in clinical leadership throughout her more than 27-year tenure.

“It has truly been an honor to grow with this agency over the years,” Whitaker said in an announcement. “This is a special place to work, where everyone shares our mission of providing compassionate care for those facing serious medical challenges. As for myself, my years at hospice have taught me about the value and appreciation of time, and I look forward to spending it with family and friends, interests, and new pursuits.”

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The organization has grown its patient census and geographic reach under Whitaker’s leadership, citing a “234% increase” in the number of patients accessing care across all of its service lines in the announcement, as well as expanded services into four new counties.

Whitaker has been part of By the Bay’s diversifying service trajectory over the years. Previously known as Hospice by the Bay, the organization rebranded in 2021 to reflect a broadening scope of services.

Established more than 45 years ago, By the Bay Health is among the oldest nonprofit hospices in California. The organization affiliated with the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) health system in 2015. By the Bay Health now serves eight counties statewide and provides hospice, palliative and pediatric care, along with skilled nursing home health and grief support.

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The hunt is on for the organization’s new CEO, led by executive search firm Korn Ferry.

“The board would like to thank Kitty for her many contributions to this organization and the profound impact her work has had on our patients, families and communities,” said Bob Simon, chair of By the Bay’s board of directors. “A national search for a new CEO is currently underway and we look forward to speaking with candidates who will build on the organization’s 47-year, long-standing legacy.”

Calvary Hospital CEO Retires

New York-based Calvary Hospital has appointed COO Dr. Christopher Comfort as its new president and CEO following the retirement of Frank Calamari, who served in the role for roughly 36 years.

Calamari will remain an active member of The Calvary Fund Board. He began his career in 1968 as a community health associate at St. Vincent’s Hospital and Medical Center and later joined NYC Health + Hospitals Corp. Prior to Calvary Hospital, he was COO at the Jacobi Medical Center.

Comfort has been Calvary Hospital’s COO since 2019. He joined the health system as medical director 24 years ago.

Calvary Hospital Board of Directors Chairman, John Decina, said the transition of leadership was the final step in a comprehensive succession plan that will strengthen and advance Calvary’s mission.

“Frank and Chris have done everything to ensure that the Calvary family is at the side of anyone who needs end-of-life care,” Decina said in a statement. “They and Calvary staff, with generous support from volunteers and donors, live our mission every day, enabling Calvary to care so well for every person we have the privilege to serve.”

Calvary Hospital’s scope of acute-care services focuses almost exclusively on hospice and palliative care. Calvary last year founded a high-needs Accountable Care Organization branded as Navigator ACO, designed to participate in the forthcoming Realizing Health Equity Access and Community Health (ACO REACH). Effective Jan. 1, ACO replaces the Global and Professional Direct Contracting (GPDC) model.

The agency stated the new program reflects its redesigned strategy for payment system demonstrations, with advancing health equity as a key tenet.

“It will further foster the relationships between [Navigator ACO] providers and primary care physicians because we realize that the providers associated with the ACO may not be the primary providers driving care,” Comfort previously told Hospice News. “The administrative management structure that it has to put together must be able to assist participating physicians and physician groups and manage these patients over a long period of time.”

Elara Caring’s Three Strategic Leadership Hires

Texas-based Elara Caring has expanded its leadership team with three strategic new hires.

Shane LuQuire, has been named vice president of hospice sales, with Chris Corrigan, as general counsel and Matt McClasky as senior VP of business development.

Elara Caring provides home-based hospice, palliative, skilled nursing, behavioral health and personal care services to more than 60,000 patients in 16 states.

McClasky joins Elara after serving as vice president of sales at Signify Health since 2014. He also held business development leadership positions at CenseoHealth, Quest Diagnostics and Persuadable Research Corporation.

Corrigan was recently the assistant general counsel of operations at Springstone Health Opco since 2015, serving as general counsel and chief compliance officer at Cornerstone Healthcare Group prior to that.

LuQuire’s previous roles include vice president of hospice outreach at Amedisys (NASDAQ: AMED) and vice president of business development at Well Care Home Health, among others.

These moves follow closely on the heels of other executive shifts at Elara, such as the appointment of CMO Dr. Kevin Henning in January, among other additions in its hospice and home health sales leadership.

“The addition of these top-flight professionals reflects our ongoing momentum as well as our commitment to fostering an environment in which the very best people seek to build and grow their careers,” Elara CEO Scott Powers said in a press release. “Elara continues to build and develop its robust bench of talent as we look to again set the pace in the industry, expanding access to compassionate, value-based, high-quality home care.”

Houston Hospice Beefs Up Clinical Workforce

Texas-based Houston Hospice has expanded its clinical team with the recent hire of Dr. Teriya Richmond.

Richmond joins the organization as a board-certified family medicine physician, receiving her medical degree from the University of Illinois and training at the Baylor College of Medicine.

Richmond serves as adjunct professor for the University of Houston Tillman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine. She is also founder and owner of Your Total Health Clinic and Day Spa, a women’s wellness center in Houston that began services in 2020. She previously served as CMO of the AIDS Foundation Houston, Inc.

Established in 1980, Houston Hospice provides care across 13 counties statewide. The nonprofit organization is affiliated with the Texas Medical Center in Houston.

Hospice Source’s New CIO

Tim Hines has been tapped as the new chief information officer of Hospice Source LLC, a durable medical equipment (DME) company based in Texas.

Hines ascends to the executive role after joining the company in 2021 as vice president of product technology. He comes with more than 25 years of experience in information technology and product management, holding leadership positions at companies such as AOL, Digicode, FedEx (NYSE: FDX) and IntelliCentrics, among others.

Hines was crucial in the launch of Hospice Source’s DME fulfillment system, company executives told local news.

“In addition to Tim’s strong expertise and knowledge, his heart for hospice patients and his customer-centric approach set him apart as a digital transformation leader who gets results that matter,” Hospice Source CFO Scott Snorton said.

Hospice Source is a portfolio company of Dallas-based Transition Capital Partners, family office-funded private investment firm founded in1993.

Established in 1997, the DME company partners with end-of-life care nationwide such as Bristol Hospice, Heartland Hospice Care, Hospice Austin, New Century Hospice, Southern Care Hospice Services, Kindred at Home, and AseraCare Hospice (now part of Amedisys), among others.

Hospice Source has been on a growth trajectory in recent years, picking up Respiratory Therapy Home Care in 2021 and acquiring DME company Superior Healthcare, Inc. the previous year – both California-based.

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