Amedisys Appoints Richard Ashworth as President, CEO and Board Member

Amedisys, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMED) has selected Richard Ashworth as its new president, CEO and member of its board of directors. He will take over the CEO role from Chairman Paul Kusserow, who has been filling in on a temporary basis amid a search for a permanent replacement.

A pharmacist by trade, Ashworth most recently served as president and CEO of Tivity Health (NASDAQ: TVTY), a wellness solutions company that contracts with Medicare Advantage plans, where he was credited with achieving a 300% shareholder return.

Previously, he was president of Walgreens Co., a component of Walgreens Boots Alliance (NASDAQ: WBA).

“Richard is the right leader to shepherd Amedisys into the future as he is uniquely positioned to lead the company with his proven track record of developing and executing on strategies specific to labor and staffing, payer relationships, operational efficiencies, and new business and product development,” Kusserow said in statement. “These are all capabilities we are excited to have, and he has the full support of the board.”

Amedisys

Kusserow’s statement is a veritable checklist of Amedisys’ priorities as the company combats labor headwinds, builds stronger ties to at-risk payer sources and further builds out its continuum of services, including high-acuity home care and community-based palliative care, among others. 

Kusserow led Amedisys between 2014 and the first quarter of 2022, when he retired as CEO but stayed on as chairman. He returned to the helm late last year after the company dismissed his immediate successor Chris Gerard following a series of inconsistent quarters on earnings, recruitment and retention.

“I am passionate about patient care and giving Amedisys’ caregivers the tools and support needed to focus on what they do best,” Ashworth said in statement. “I am honored to join an organization whose mission is to allow patients to remain in the home while getting the care that they need, and look forward to working closely with the board, leadership team and Amedisys’ 20,000-plus caregivers as we collectively build on the industry-leading quality care the company is known for and enter into Amedisys’ next chapter of innovation and growth.”