Amedisys Inc. (Nasdaq: AMED) has its new CEO. After a four-month-long search, the company’s board has named Richard Ashworth to the role. He will also serve as president.
Ashworth is new to the company, unlike former CEO Chris Gerard, who was terminated from the company last November. He will officially take over on April 10.
Current Chairman and CEO Paul Kusserow will remain chairman, and will notably “provide support through the transition, with a continued strategic focus on Contessa Health,” according to a press release.
“We are fortunate to find such a capable leader to continue to drive excellence and innovation in providing care in the home,” Kusserow said in the press release. “Richard is the right leader to shepherd Amedisys into the future as he is uniquely positioned to lead the company with his proven track record of developing and executing on strategies specific to labor and staffing, payer relationships, operational efficiencies, and new business and product development. These are all capabilities we are excited to have, and he has the full support of the board.”
The Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based Amedisys is one of the largest providers of home health and hospice care in the country. Its 20,000 employees deliver care through 532 care centers across 37 states and the District of Columbia. It also provides high-acuity care in the home through its subsidiary, Contessa Health.
After Kusserow retired from his longtime role as CEO of Amedisys in April 2022, then-COO Chris Gerard was named his successor. After just seven months at the helm, Gerard was dismissed from the company after a couple of tough quarters.
Kusserow then returned to his former role, and he has served as chairman and CEO once again during the transition period.
As for Ashworth, he was most recently the president and CEO of Tivity Health, a provider of health improvement, fitness and social engagement solutions. The company works hand in hand with Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, an increasingly large part of any home health leader’s day to day.
Under Ashworth’s leadership, Tivity delivered “significant shareholder performance, achieving a return of more than 300%” and “built strong relationships with Medicare Advantage payers,” according to the Amedisys release.
Prior to his time at Tivity, Ashworth was with Walgreens Boots Alliance (Nasdaq: WBA) for nearly two decades, working all the way up to the role of president for Walgreens Co.
“I am passionate about patient care and giving Amedisys’ caregivers the tools and support needed to focus on what they do best,” Ashworth said in a statement. “I am honored to join an organization whose mission is to allow patients to remain in the home while getting the care that they need, and look forward to working closely with the Board, leadership team and Amedisys’ 20,000+ caregivers as we collectively build on the industry-leading quality care the company is known for and enter into Amedisys’ next chapter of innovation and growth.”
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