Addus Promotes Bickham to President; WelbeHealth Names New CMO

Addus COO lands promotion

Addus HomeCare Corporation (Nasdaq: ADUS) has promoted Brad Bickham to the role of president and chief operating officer.

Frisco, Texas-based Addus provides personal care, home health and hospice services to about 44,000 consumers, through 212 locations in 22 states.

Bickham’s promotion was internal. He first joined Addus in 2017, previously serving as the company’s executive vice president and COO.

“I am very excited and honored by the opportunity to take on this important additional leadership role with Addus,” Bickham said in a statement. “It has been exciting to see the tremendous growth we have experienced over the past four years. Addus offers a strong value proposition, and I am confident that we are well-positioned to achieve further profitable growth both organically and from acquisitions.”

Along with Bickham’s promotion, the Addus board of directors also named Dirk Allison as company chairman. The appointment is in addition to his current role as CEO.

“As I take on the chairman’s title, I appreciate the confidence in the board’s decision and look forward to continuing to serve Addus,” Allison said in a statement. “Since joining the company, it has been extremely rewarding to work with committed leaders across our organization with a shared mission to provide safe, high-quality home care services that allow individuals to remain in the preferred home setting.”

Moving forward, Steven Geringer — the previous chairman — will take on the role of lead director.

WelbeHealth names CMO

WelbeHealth — a Menlo Park, California-based operator of PACE programs — has appointed Dr. Sepideh Chegini its chief medical officer.

Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) is a Medicare and Medicaid program that helps keep people in the community instead of a nursing home. Oftentimes, these programs are run out of community-based centers with the support of in-home care providers and their staff.

In her new role, Chegini will be in charge of clinical care delivery and oversee efforts to expand into underserved communities.

“We are grateful to have Sepi join WelbeHealth to help us ensure the highest quality care for our frail and vulnerable seniors,” Dr. Si France, founder and CEO of WelbeHealth, said in a statement. “Sepi has an extensive track record of leading and innovating within value-based care to drive exceptional clinical quality, an inspired culture, and satisfaction in patient-centered care.”

Prior to this role, Chegini was the senior medical officer at CareMore Health. She played an integral role in expanding CareMore Health’s Special Needs Plans (SNPs) which, among other things, provided care in the home.

Additionally, Chegini was the architect behind CareMore Health’s first palliative care program.

“I see it as a true privilege to be in this position and to serve our most precious and vulnerable seniors, establish meaningful human connections with them, enrich their overall health care experience, and support them on their journey so they can reach their full potential,” Chegini said. “I will work hard to evolve and grow our programs and support our team members so that we can impact more lives and help improve our participants’ quality of life.”

ConcertoCare adds new CMO

ConcertoCare has announced that Dr. Amy Flaster has joined the company as its chief medical officer. Earlier this year, in-home care providers ConcertoHealth and Perfect Health merged to form ConcertoCare.

Backed by Deerfield Management Company, ConcertoCare offers in-home primary care, virtual primary care and PACE services to dual-eligible seniors and those enrolled under Medicare Advantage.

In her new role, Flaster will head up clinical strategy and operations for ConcertoCare’s in-home health care services for seniors.

“Dr. Flaster has a remarkable track record of leveraging the latest clinical advancements, data and technology to improve patient outcomes for seniors and other populations with complex care needs,” Dr. Julian Harris, chairman and CEO of ConcertoCare, said in a statement. “A practicing primary care physician, Dr. Flaster is passionate about the intersection of population health, primary care and digital expansion. She brings invaluable experience as we further expand our tech-enabled in-home care model for seniors across the country.”

Before joining ConcertoCare, Flaster served as the senior vice president of population health at data and analytics technology provider Health Catalyst.

The Home Centered Care Institute announces president

The Home Centered Care Institute (HCCI) has named Julie Sacks its president.

Schaumburg, Illinois-based HCCI is a nonprofit organization that advocates for the expansion of home-based primary care.

“The need for home-based primary care has skyrocketed due to COVID-19, and interest in it has never been greater,” Sacks said in a statement. “HCCI is growing the workforce to meet this need — for millions of people across America.”

Sacks already served as the organization’s chief operating officer. In addition to her new role, Sacks will continue to serve as COO.

As president, Sacks will focus on developing strategic opportunities and partnerships, plus building relationships with donors. She will also function as a spokesperson for HCCI.

Sacks first joined HHCI in 2015 and has served as vice president of operations and advancement. Prior to this, she was senior director of programs and services at the National Young Onset Center for the American Parkinson Disease Association.