CEO transition at Ivy Rehab
Ivy Rehab has named Jason Strauss its new CEO after the acting CEO, Michael Rucker, announced his plans to retire at the end of April.
Strauss has 20 years of experience in the health care industry. Most recently, he served as CEO of ambulatory care provider SCA Health. His resume also includes time as chief operating officer at Optum Health.
“I am honored and excited to take on the role of CEO at Ivy Rehab,” Strauss said in a statement. “The foundation that Michael and the leadership team have built is exceptional, and I look forward to working alongside the team to drive the next chapter of growth while continuing to invest meaningfully in people, culture, and innovation in order to best care for the patients we serve.”
Ivy Rehab is based in White Plains, New York. It offers outpatient ABA services and pediatric and adult physical, occupational, and speech therapy services.
AnswersNow adds executive roles
Virtual autism services provider AnswersNow has named four new executive roles.
Kristen Peterson will step into the role of clinical care delivery. Peterson previously served as VP of clinical services and senior regional director at Kyo.
The provider named Mason Davis senior vice president of K-12 partnerships. Davis comes to AnswersNow after serving as CEO of Intralogic Solutions and senior vice president of professional services at McGraw Hill.
Tracey Sheahan will join as head of revenue cycle management. Before joining AnswersNow, Sheahan served as the director of revenue cycle at Signature Medical Group, Eversana Life Sciences and BJC Medical Group.
Wayne Li will take on the role of vice president of care operations at AnswersNow. Li comes to the company after serving in the same role at Headspace.
“I’m excited to welcome Kristen, Mason, Tracey and Wayne to the team,” AnswersNow CEO Jeff Beck said in a statement. “Together, they bring invaluable experience to AnswersNow as we focus on driving significant growth in terms of families supported, clinicians employed, technical and operational scalability, and our topline performance. All four of these leaders share our deep commitment to upholding the high-quality care and seamless, supportive experience that our families deserve.”
Richmond, Virginia-based AnswersNow is a virtual autism provider that was founded in 2017. It is focused on matching families with clinicians for virtual ABA therapies. It works with several large payers, including Medicaid, UnitedHealthcare and Cigna. In 2023, it received $11 million in funding.
Acorn Health names new head of payor relations
ABA provider Acorn Health has tapped Scott Semmel as its new vice president of payor relations.
Semmel comes from the world of home health. Prior to the move to Acorn, he served in executive roles at Aveanna Health and Epic Health Services.
In his new role, Semmel is tasked with strengthening Acorn’s payer partnerships and continuing to build its relationships with state administration and legislators.
“Scott’s vast knowledge, strong leadership skills and proven history in driving growth and innovation with nationally recognized providers of home health services will be an asset as Acorn Health continues to expand services and access to care,” Krista Boe, chief clinical officer of Acorn Health, said in a statement. “We are excited to welcome Scott and look forward to his partnership and contributions.”
Coral Gables, Florida-based Acorn Health, offers ABA services at more than 70 centers across Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Virginia.
Shine Bright Names chief clinical officer
Dr. James Moore has stepped into the position of chief clinical officer at Shine Bright.
Moore is no stranger to the role. He previously served as chief clinical officer at autism service providers Apollo Behavior and Therapy Matters.
“I’m excited to be part of the team and to be contributing to establishing a new benchmark in ABA and holistic care,” Moore said in a Facebook post announcement. “Our approach integrates the most effective and traditional ABA techniques with the latest, evidence-based methods. The beginning of compassionate, effective behavioral health is happening right now with Shine Bright!”
Miami, Florida-based Shine Bright offers pediatric ABA, occupational therapy, speech therapy, handwriting support, reading intervention services and academic tutoring.
