C-Suite Shakeups at Aveanna, New Day, Samaritan, VNAHSR

Aveanna Taps New Chief Legal Executive

Aveanna Healthcare Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAH) has appointed Jerry Perchik as its new chief legal officer and secretary.

Perchik will step into the role effective April 29. He was previously chief legal officer at diagnostic imaging company MedQuest Associates, serving in the same role at CRH Healthcare LLC prior to that.

Perchik has more than fifteen years of corporate law experience in the health care industry. He has held general counsel roles at Gentiva Health Services’ Center Well, as well as at Benevis Dental Practice Management Services and Almost Family Inc., a Kentucky-based home health provider.

“Jerry has a strong background in corporate law and a wealth of health care industry and regulatory experience,” Aveanna CEO Jeff Shaner said in today’s company announcement. “I have known Jerry for more than a decade and have great trust in his leadership and counsel. It is a pleasure to welcome Jerry to our Aveanna family, and I look forward to partnering with him as we continue to grow and execute our strategic plans.”

Atlanta-headquartered Aveanna provides home health, hospice, personal care and private duty services across 33 states. The company also provides medical solutions, therapy services and durable medical equipment, among other adult and pediatric health care services.

Perchik will play a key role in the company’s future strategic goals.

The company has had a “strong, disciplined” approach to its hospice growth in recent years, according to Shaner. Labor headwinds and inflation pressures brought some turbulence in Aveanna’s hospice and home health admissions and revenues, impacting growth in the segment in the last two years. The company has since seen a turnaround of hospice revenues normalizing, anticipating growth on the horizon for the segment this year, Shaner indicated in a recent earnings call.

“I am excited to join the Aveanna family,” Perchik said. “I have dedicated a significant portion of my professional career to supporting the care for medically complex children, adults and seniors in their home. I look forward to working with Jeff and the entire leadership team at Aveanna in executing our 2024 strategic plans and positioning Aveanna as a leader in value-based care in the home.”

New Day Healthcare Appoints EVP of Hospice

Texas-based New Day Healthcare recently promoted Debbie Weber to senior executive vice president of hospice operations.

Weber ascended to the role after serving as vice president of operations for hospice at Phoenix Home Care & Hospice, a New Day Healthcare company. She helped grow the hospice provider’s average daily census from 18 patients at one location to roughly 500 patients.

Weber will now oversee New Day’s hospice operations across its four-state service region, including working closely with leadership on future acquisitions and partnerships. She is a registered nurse who has also served as a hospice case manager, nursing aide, director of nursing and regional director.

“This elevation of Debbie, who is a tried-and-true executive, positions us to expand our footprint at an accelerated pace,” New Day CEO G. Scott Herman said in an announcement emailed to Hospice News. “Debbie has a track record of growing significant multi-site, multi-state markets, on scale. She will oversee a hospice average daily census in the high hundreds, across four states and that size organization falls into the upper tier of mid-size providers and has us positioned for expansion.”

New Day Healthcare provides home health and hospice care collaboration, operating 30 locations in Illinois, Kansas, Missouri and in its home state of Texas. The company’s roughly 7,000 employees provide care to an average daily census of more than 11,000 patients.

Companies under the health care system’s umbrella include Phoenix Home Care & Hospice, New Age Hospice, Compassion Hospice, Home Care Providers of Texas, Pathfinder Home Health, Envision Health Partners and AssistCare.

Samaritan Announces New Chief Medical Officer

New Jersey-based Samaritan recently named Dr. Sara Pagliaro as its new chief medical officer.

Dr. Stephen Goldfine, who previously held the role since 2003, is transitioning to serve part-time as physician executive at the organization. In that position, he will support the organization’s Home Visit Physicians and Palliative Medical Partners programs.

Pagliaro steps in to oversee the delivery of Samaritan’s health care services to upwards of 11,000 patients, clients, and their families each year.

“Dr. Pagliaro and Dr. Goldfine have consistently provided excellent leadership, clinical expertise and extraordinary compassion that is invaluable to the lives of our patients and their families. We are delighted to congratulate Dr. Pagliaro on her promotion to chief medical officer, while we are grateful to have Dr. Goldfine continuing on in the role of physician executive,” Samaritan President & CEO Phillip Heath said in a statement emailed to Hospice News.

Founded in 1980, Samaritan provides home-based primary care, hospice and palliative medicine. The nonprofit’s palliative care arm operates in southern New Jersey, including Bulington, Camden and Gloucester counties. Samaritan in February inked a new partnership with Rutgers University-Camden to enhance palliative care education and services across the state.

Pagliaro joined the organization in 2012 as a hospice and palliative physician, ascending into roles such as associate director of palliative medicine and vice president of medical services. Pagliaro is also medical director of palliative medicine at Jefferson Health East and serves on its ethics and cancer committees.

Prior to her role at Samaritan, Pagliaro was medical director at University Doctors and Assistant Professor of Rowan University of Osteopathic Medicine.

VNA & Hospice of the Southwest Region CEO Retires

Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice of the Southwest Region Inc. (VNAHSR) has announced the retirement of its CEO Sara King.

King ascended to the role in 2021. She joined Vermont-based VNAHSR in 2001 as its CFO, adding responsibilities of chief operating officer in 2016. Prior to VNAHSR, King served as CFO of Rutland Area Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice.

“Back in 2001, I was offered the opportunity to join an organization whose mission I believed with my whole heart,” King said in an announcement. “I had always admired the incredible work of the talented VNASHR staff, and I learned firsthand how wonderfully compassionate, patient, and skilled they truly are when they cared for my son, Nicolas, before his passing. Understanding the work we do here from an operational perspective and from the patient side has helped me be a better advocate for the agency. My time at this organization has been the honor of a lifetime, and I will continue to support the work of the agency long after my retirement.”

VNAHSR provides home health, hospice, pediatric nursing and rehabilitative services, and also operates health and wellness clinics. Established in 1946, the nonprofit home health and hospice provides care across four counties in southwest Vermont. VNAHSR employs more than 250 certified home health aides, rehabilitation therapists, social workers and visiting nurses.

The organization’s board stated it is currently searching for a new candidate to fill the CEO role.

“Her contributions and accomplishments are countless, and on behalf of the entire VNAHSR board of directors, I’d like to extend my sincerest gratitude for her leadership and vision, and we wish her all the best in her next chapter,” Dan DiBattista, VNAHSR board president, said in a statement.