In this recurring article, we track the career changes of the Health Evolution community. For this version, we’re looking at who’s been on the move in January and February.
Tech/Politics
Mandy Cohen, MD
Mandy Cohen, MD was named the CEO of Aledade Care Solutions (ACS), the company’s new health services unit. In this role, Cohen will lead the implementation of targeted wraparound care solutions to support more than a thousand primary care practices in Aledade’s nationwide network of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). Cohen was previously the Secretary of Health and Human Services for North Carolina. Farzad Mostashari, MD, co-founder and CEO of Aledade said in a statement: “I have had the opportunity to work with Mandy when she was a leader at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services and as Secretary of Health and Human Services for North Carolina. I have always been impressed with her proven track record of delivering results for people who need high-quality, whole-person care, and we are thrilled that she will be helping to guide this next phase in our growth.” Cohen is also a member of Health Evolution’s leadership committee. 1/25
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The Senate approved Robert Califf, MD as the next commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Califf was approved by a 50-46 vote. It is Califf’s second stint as FDA Commissioner. He served for less than a year under the Obama administration in 2016. At that time, he was confirmed by a vote of 89 to 4. 2/15
Uber Health named its first-ever CMO, Michael Cantor, MD. Cantor has worked with senior-care technology company Intuition Robotics, health insurer Bright Health and home health benefit management company CareCentrix. “With his expertise, Uber will be able to take an important next step in addressing holistic needs across the health care ecosystem. Coupled with our strategic partnerships across the industry, Uber Health is now better positioned than ever to scalably address issues that make health care frustrating, inefficient, and expensive for patients and providers,” says Caitlin Donovan, Head of Uber Health. 1/25 Read more: Uber Health’s Caitlin Donovan: Her first six months in charge, the Papa partnership and more
Yemi Okupe was named CFO of consumer tech health company Hims & Hers 1/19
Virtual chronic care company Vida Health hired Patrick Carroll, MD as CMO. 1/24
Maven Clinic, a virtual clinic for women’s and family health, announced the appointment of Alex Peahl, MD, Assistant Professor and physician-investigator in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Michigan, as the company’s first ever Visiting Scientist. 1/26
Digital health company Kalderos named Brent Dover as its new CEO. 2/3
Jasper Health, a cancer care navigation and experience platform, announced the appointment of digital health care visionaries Brad Fluegel, former SVP, Chief Healthcare Commercial Market Development Officer for Walgreens and Lisa Suennen, Managing Partner, Venture Valkyrie, LLC and advisor to several venture funds and companies, to its Advisory Council. 2/10
Health data cloud provider Innovaccer named Anil Jain, MD as its chief innovation officer. Jain was previously the Chief Health Information Officer at IBM Watson Health. 2/10
epocrates named Matt Titus to Chief Commercial Officer; Titus was previously EVP of sales and consumer experience at Real Chemistry. 2/7
Providers
Richard Lofgren, MD
The Oklahoma University Health Board of Directors announced Richard Lofgren, MD, as CEO of OU Health. He will be onsite in Oklahoma City beginning in mid-March. Lofgren comes to Oklahoma from UC Health in Cincinnati, where he has served as president and CEO since 2013. His executive experience in health care spans more than 40 years and includes leadership roles at University HealthSystem Consortium, University of Kentucky, Medical College of Wisconsin and University of Pittsburgh. 2/4
CHI Health announced that E.J. Kuiper is the new CEO of CHI Health and President of CommonSpirit Health’s Midwest Division. 1/22
After more than four decades as a physician, innovator and national leader in health care, John R. Brumsted, MD, President and CEO of The University of Vermont Health Network will retire in September from the position he has held since the network was founded. 1/25
Cleveland Clinic appointed Rohit Chandra, Ph.D., as Chief Digital Officer. In this new role, Dr. Chandra will oversee the Information Technology Division and lead digital innovation throughout Cleveland Clinic’s global health system. 1/28
LifePoint Health hired Jessica Beegle as its chief innovation officer. Beegle was previously at Walgreens Health. 1/31
Brittany Lavis was named Group CEO of the Detroit Medical Center and Tenet Healthcare’s Detroit market. 1/31
Howard P. Kern, President and CEO of Sentara Healthcare, has announced his planned retirement from the not-for-profit integrated health system by the end of 2022. Kern has agreed to remain in his role until a new CEO is selected and in place. 2/4
Behavioral health company Acadia Healthcare is paying outgoing CEO Debbie Osteen an additional $900,000 to stay on for two months to help with the transition to a new CEO. 2/7
Florida-based BayCare Health System announced that CEO and president Tommy Inzina will retire at the end of this year. 2/8
Payers
Humana hired health care industry veteran Andrew (Andy) Agwunobi, MD as the new President of the company’s Home Solutions business. Dr. Agwunobi comes to Humana from the University of Connecticut, where he currently serves as interim University President, and as CEO of the UConn Health System. In his new role, Dr. Agwunobi will report directly to Humana President and CEO Bruce Broussard and will serve as a member of Humana’s management team. “Andy is just the person we need for this critical Humana role leading our Home Solutions business,” Broussard said. “He has a real passion for care in the home. He has been responsible for a home health care organization as part of an integrated system. He has extensive operational experience with for-profit and nonprofit organizations, and he’s a doctor – he understands the value of care in the home, why seniors want more of it, and our vision at Humana for making it much easier for people to get the care they need at home.” 1/14
PatientsLikeMe, a patient community and digital health management platform that is under the UnitedHealth Group, today announced Atul Dhir, MD as CEO. It also named Optum Ventures’ Larry Renfro as chairman as well as SVB Leerink’s Jeff Leerink, Alta Partners’ Pete Hudson, MD, PBM Capital’s Paul Manning and WR Hambrecht and Co.’s Bill Hambrecht board of directors. 1/19
Cigna announced that health care executive Charles “Chuck” Berg joined the company as President, U.S. Government Business and Senior Advisor. In this role, Berg will guide the expansion of Cigna’s Medicare Advantage and Individual & Family Plan businesses. He will also join the company’s Enterprise Leadership Team, reporting directly to David Cordani, Cigna Chairman and CEO. 1/31
Life Sciences
Ramona Sequeira
Takeda announced a promotion for Ramona Sequeira, who was appointed President, Global Portfolio Division. Also, Gabriele Ricci, who formerly served as Head of IT for the Plasma-Derived Therapies (PDT) Business Unit has been appointed Takeda’s Chief Data and Technology Officer; Julie Kim, who is currently President of the PDT Business Unit, has been appointed President of the U.S. Business Unit and U.S. country head; and Giles Platford, who is currently President of the Europe and Canada Business Unit, has been appointed President of the PDT Business Unit. Sequeria is a member of the Health Evolution Leadership Committee. 2/3
Hal Barron, MD left his role of CSO at GSK to head up Altos Labs, a $3 billion biotech startup focused on cellular rejuvenation. GSK appointed Tony Wood as Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) designate. 1/19
Galapagos announced the appointment of Paul Stoffels, MD as CEO, effective April 1, 2022. Stoffels left J&J in December after nine years as CSO. 1/26
Merck’s head of human health division Frank Clyburn left the company in the beginning of February. 2/1
Pfizer announced that William Pao, MD, PhD will join the company as Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer effective March 21, 2022. 2/1
Bayer appointed Christine Roth as the new Head of the Oncology Strategic Business Unit at its Pharmaceuticals Division. 2/3
Former FDA Commissioner Brett Giroir, MD was named the CEO of startup Altesa Bioscineces. 2/10
