VNA Health Group CEO Leaving For Hebrew SeniorLife; LightSpring Home Care Names Managing Director

Dr. Steve Landers to leave VNA Health Group

A very well known face in home health care is leaving the industry for a new leadership position.

Dr. Steve Landers, the CEO of the Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) Health Group, is taking the helm at Hebrew SeniorLife, a Harvard Medical School-affiliated senior living provider that is also a research and educational organization.

Collectively, the Boston-based Hebrew SeniorLife serves more than 3,000 individuals per day. Landers specifically will take over as president and CEO, beginning in July. He is succeeding Louis J. Woolf, who is retiring after 14 years leading Hebrew SeniorLife.

“I treasure every day I had the chance to be a part of the compassionate and mission-driven team at VNA Health Group,” Landers said in a statement. “It’s a tremendous organization and the future is bright. VNA Health Group’s board of trustees and management team are strong and committed to ensuring a successful transition.”

Based in Holmdel, New Jersey, VNA Health Group is a provider of home health, hospice and palliative care services. The nonprofit serves patients in New Jersey and Ohio. Landers has been the president and CEO of the organization since 2012.

“Looking ahead, I am so excited and honored to join Hebrew SeniorLife, an innovative and caring organization that shares my own values of tikkun olam – to heal the world,” Landers continued. “For more than a century, Hebrew SeniorLife has been a beacon of excellence, dedicated to supporting Greater Boston seniors in all facets of their lives.”

Landers oversaw VNA during a period where its revenue doubled. The organization’s average daily census is about 12,000 patients.

“We are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Steve Landers as the new president and CEO of Hebrew SeniorLife,” Hebrew SeniorLife Board Chair Melissa Tearney said in a statement. “The outstanding depth of his experiences and accomplishments as a leader within a variety of nonprofit and academic health care settings makes him the ideal person to lead Hebrew SeniorLife in its mission to empower seniors to live their best lives.”

Just recently, Landers was on a call with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) stakeholders, voicing his support for higher payment rates for home health agencies.

“I’m very concerned about access issues that we’re seeing and also just our overall sustainability as a community agency,” Landers said on the call. “The concerns are most heavily weighted towards high-poverty, urban areas and more diverse communities.”

LightSpring Home Care appoints new managing director

LightSpring Home Care has named a new managing director, Marcus Primavera.

Previously, Primavera held leadership roles at Sevita Health, a provider of home- and community-based services. He also served as the director of business development and account management at CareGivers America, which is a part of Modivcare Inc. (Nasdaq: MODV).

On its end, LightSpring Home Care provides home care services to patients in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.

Papa adds new board member

The senior companionship platform Papa has named Stephanie Tilenius to its board of directors as an independent board member.

“It’s my honor to join Papa’s board of directors,” Tilenius said in a statement. “I’ve been following the company since its founding and believe its work is essential for a number of populations, from aging adults to the people caring for them. I know from my own experiences – both professional and personal – that we need to reorient health care around the factors that drive health.”

Tilenius is the founder and CEO of Vida Health, which is a virtual care platform that serves patients with chronic health conditions.

Prior to Vida, Tilenius worked at the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, where she worked on late-stage portfolio companies such as Nextdoor and MyFitnessPal. She also spent time at Google (Nasdaq: GOOGL), Ebay (Nasdaq: EBAY) and PayPal (Nasdaq: PYPL).

“I’m thrilled to have Stephanie join our board, bringing her expertise in health care, consumer tech, and marketplace expansion to further drive and guide Papa into the future,” Papa Founder and CEO Andrew Parker said in a statement. “Stephanie’s knowledge and strength in scaling a mission-driven company will only accelerate our impact and help us continue to enhance the experience for Papa’s customers, members, Papa Pals and employees.”

The Miami-based Papa has a 50-state footprint. Its Papa Pals help seniors with activities of daily living, generally in their homes. To date, the company has raised over $240 million in funding.

Tilenius also serves on the boards of Seagate Technology (Nasdaq: STX) and Wish (Nasdaq: WISH).

PopHealthCare names new COO

PopHealthCare has named Jill Langenfeld as COO.

A part of the GuideWell Mutual Holding Corporation, PopHealthCare offers risk-adjustment solutions, in-home assessments and home-based primary care. PopHealthCare also has Emcara Health, which is its comprehensive home-based care solutions platform.

As COO, Lang will be tasked with accelerating growth.

“Jill brings an exceptional track record of success in the care delivery and health insurance arenas, including at-risk provider groups,” PopHealthCare CEO Eric Galvin said in a statement. “Her experience and leadership make her an ideal partner to the executive team as we rapidly grow the PopHealthCare and Emcara Health businesses.”

Lanenfeld has previously worked at UnitedHealth Group’s (NYSE: UHG) UnitedHealthcare and Optum. She served most recently as VP of operations for Optum Care Network’s Midwest Risk Bearing Entity.

“The opportunity to lead and drive operational excellence at a company making positive change in care delivery and patients’ lives is incredibly exciting,” Langenfeld said in a statement. “Even more exciting for me is to be part of the company’s commitment to take care to individuals no matter where they live, be that urban or rural settings.”

Careficient announces new CEO, president

Careficient – a provider of EMR solutions – has announced that Gene Creach will be the company’s next CEO.

Bill Creach – the founder and current CEO – will transition into the role of chairman of the board. Brad Caldwell will move into the role of president.

“Bill, Brad and the rest of the Careficient team have built an impressive business and I’m very excited to be part of the future,” Gene Creach said in a statement. “As we continue to look toward the future, I’m excited for the opportunity to continue building on and evolving the business into one of the dominate players in the health care IT space.”

Over the last two years, Careficient has seen “triple-digit revenue growth,” according to a company news release. The size of the company’s staff has also tripled during that time period.

“I’m excited to help the Careficient team continue to disrupt the Home Health and Hospice EMR space,” Caldwell said in a statement. “Careficient is committed to focusing on driving efficiencies for our customers and we are prepared to invest in aligning products and services that can drive additional benefits to continue to grow our loyal customer base.”