Literature Review

Choices Healthcare President and CEO to retire Central Penn Business Journal; by Rochelle Shenk; 6/12/25 Steve Knaub, president and CEO of Choices Healthcare, will retire December 31, according to a media release. Choices Healthcare is the parent organization of Hospice & Community Care and Hospice of Central PA. The media release said Knaub has been a “driving force behind the organization’s growth, steering it through significant achievements and fostering strong relationships with healthcare partners and the community”. “Serving this organization and our community has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” Knaub said in the release, “When I first joined—then Hospice of Lancaster County (in 1998)– we were caring for 140 patients a day. Today, we serve more than 1,000. That growth reflects not only the increasing need for compassionate end-of-life care, but also our unwavering commitment to meeting people where they are, with the support they deserve.”

Executive Personnel Changes - 6/6/25

UnitedHealth urges shareholders to back CEO’s $60M pay package Becker's Payer Issues; by Rylee Wilson; 5/20/25 UnitedHealth Group is asking shareholders to support a $60 million stock option award for its new CEO. In a May 20 letter to shareholders, Christopher Zaetta, UnitedHealth’s chief legal officer, urged shareholders to approve the company’s executive compensation. Institutional Shareholder Services, a proxy advisory firm, has advised shareholders to vote no on UnitedHealth’s “say-on-pay” proposal. The company appointed Stephen Hemsley, who led the company from 2006 to 2017, as CEO in May. Mr. Hemsley will receive a $1 million annual salary, but will not receive any annual cash incentives. Instead, he will receive a $60 million stock option after three years as CEO. ISS recommended shareholders vote no because nearly all of Mr. Hemsley’s compensation will be in stock option awards, and fluctuations in stock price could lead to a “windfall” for the CEO. 

'Legendary' Hemsley takes over at UnitedHealth amid rough seas Modern Healthcare; by Nona Tepper; 5/14/25 Stephen Hemsley returns to the top spot at a UnitedHealth Group that looks very different from the one he helmed almost a decade ago and faces trouble bubbling up in its Optum healthcare services subsidiary. Over the past three years, the company has reported rising Medicare Advantage costs in its UnitedHealthcare insurance subsidiary. But some see Optum as more concerning. With Andrew Witty resigning as CEO on Tuesday [5/13], it falls to Hemsley to right the ship.

UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty steps down Modern Healthcare; by Shelly Banjo; 5/13/25 UnitedHealth Group Inc. unexpectedly replaced its chief executive and suspended earnings guidance, raising increasing questions over how the company once regarded as a safe bet by investors has got its cost predictions so wrong. The company brought back Chairman and former CEO Stephen Hemsley for the top role, saying Andrew Witty has resigned “for personal reasons.” The health insurer, whose top insurance executive was murdered in New York last December, also ripped up its 2025 outlook. The meltdown in its outlook blindsided investors yet again. 

Frederick Health Hospice hires new director Longview News-Journal, Frederick, MD; by Frederick Health; 5/7/25 Frederick Health Hospice is excited to announce that Korey Cobb has joined the nonprofit organization as its new Director, only the third director since the hospice was founded in 1980. Frederick Health Hospice has served the Frederick community as a non-profit agency for more than four decades. The organization was one of the earliest hospices formed in the U.S. and has been providing compassionate care for patients since before the Medicare Hospice Benefit was made permanent by Congress in 1986. Heather Kirby, Vice President of Integrated Care Delivery & Chief Population Health Officer at Frederick Health, helped lead the search committee ... [and described,] "Korey prides himself on creating a positive team culture, a strong sense of community involvement, and volunteerism. ..."

Executive Personnel Changes - 4/25/25

Karen Rubel of Nathan Adelson Hospice announces transition to President of Chapters Health West; Lori Townsend named as new Executive Director of the Las Vegas-based nonprofit hospice Nevada Business; by Nathan Adelson Hospice; 4/11/25 Nathan Adelson Hospice, the leader in hospice and palliative care in southern Nevada, and its Board of Trustees announced today that President and CEO Karen Rubel has transitioned to become President of Chapters Health West, a newly launched division of Chapters Health System. As her new role gets underway, Nathan Adelson Hospice’s current Chief Nursing Officer Lori Townsend has been promoted to Executive Director of Nathan Adelson Hospice.

Executive Personnel Changes - 3/28/25

Introducing our new President and CEO, Dan Ayres: Coastal Hospice welcomes experienced hospice leader Coastal Hospice, Salisbury, MD; Press Release; 3/21/25 The Coastal Hospice Board of Directors is pleased to announce Dan Ayres to serve as the next President and Chief Executive Officer of Coastal Hospice, effective April 2025. We are excited to welcome Dan to the Coastal Hospice family, including our dedicated staff, volunteers, leadership, and medical professionals. ...  “Ayres is a respected hospice leader, and we’re thrilled to welcome him to the Coastal Hospice team,” said Coastal Hospice Board Chair Morgan Fisher. “His strategic vision, proven record of operational excellence, and sheer passion for this work make him the perfect fit to guide Coastal Hospice effectively.” The Board also extends its deepest gratitude to Ann Lovely, RN, BSN, CHPN, for her outstanding leadership and dedication as Interim President and CEO during this critical period. Her contributions have been invaluable ...

Executive Personnel Changes - 3/14/25

Kerry Hamilton is no longer CEO of Alive Hospice Nashville Business Journal; by Nikki Ross; 2/25/25Alive Hospice is once again looking for a new leader. ... Just over six months after taking the helm Kerry Hamilton is no longer CEO of Alive Hospice [Nashville, TN]. Hamilton, who was named CEO in June, is the one who initiated the split  ... [The full article is behind a paywall.]