FirstLight Home Care Names New CEO; DispatchHealth Hires New Leader

FirstLight Home Care names new CEO

FirstLight Home Care’s president of one year has also been named as the company’s CEO.

Glee McAnanly, named president last year, will serve as the new CEO and will also handle executive leadership duties.

“Since her promotion to president more than a year ago, Glee has been building the foundation to help grow our franchise system,” Bernard Markey, managing partner for FirstLight’s board of directors, said in a press release. “As president and CEO, I am confident she will continue to shape the momentum we’ve already built here and empower her team to lead with passion and purpose.”

McAnanly is a veteran of the franchising world with more than 30 years worth of owner-operations experience. Previously, McAnanly was the chief development officer and chief franchisee relations officer for ServiceMaster’s different brands.

Cincinnati, Ohio-based FirstLight also brought on Frank Todisco as the executive director of franchise development, Kimbrough Taylor as the executive director of marketing and digital strategy and Lisa Lee as a local marketing manager.

“Our goal is to make sure franchisees come first,” McAnanly said in a press release. “By giving them ongoing operational support and the tools they need to grow, we can help strengthen the success of their business, increase unit profitability and improve overall performance.”

DispatchHealth hires new leader

DispatchHealth has hired Dr. Reza Alavi as the new president to lead Advanced Care, the organization’s hospital substitution model.

“I find DispatchHealth’s unique care model energizing,” Alavi said in a press release. “Particularly considering it’s the only offering to give commercial health plans the opportunity to extend advanced level care at home to the more than 65% of Americans with private insurance.”

Denver-based DispatchHealth is an at-home care provider that operates in over 30 states, providing urgent care and other higher-acuity services.

DispatchHealth’s Advanced Care service line provides care for the top 49 diagnostic-related groupings in Denver, Tacoma, Phoenix, Seattle, Houston, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Richmond, Dallas and Fort Worth.

“Advanced Care has led the industry in providing health plans and health system partners alternatives to hospitalization for their patients and members,” DispatchHealth’s co-founder and CEO Mark Prather said in a press release. “I am confident our unique care model will rise to the next level under Dr. Alavi’s leadership.”

Before joining DispatchHealth, Alavi served as vice president and national medical director at Optum, where he led institutional affordability efforts for Optum Care.

CVS appoints new chief strategy officer

CVS Health has announced that Violetta Ostafin will serve as the new chief strategy officer.

In her new role, Ostafin will lead strategy across CVS Health’s core businesses, focusing on new market opportunities and product development.

Before joining CVS Health, Ostafin served as the global chief operating officer for health solutions at Aon.

CVS Health has made a concerted effort on diversifying its health care offerings of late. That has led to a further focus on home-based models. Overall, the company has been focusing on building out its capabilities in primary care, management services organization and home health to drive growth.

The Ostafin hire is effective July 11.

PopHealthCare appoints new CEO

Franklin, Tennessee-based PopHealthCare appointed Eric Galvin as the new CEO of its value-based national medical group Emcara Health.

Emcara Health was launched in 2021 and offers home-based advanced primary care for seniors.

PopHealthCare is a subsidiary of GuideWell Mutual Holding Corporation. The company offers home-based primary care, risk-adjustment solutions and in-home assessments.

“Galvin brings significant experience in growth strategies and medical management of complex populations to this role,” Thurman Justice, executive vice president and chief financial officer for GuideWell Venture Group, said in a press release. “His passion for collaborating across health care stakeholders to improve the health and well-being of diverse communities and his demonstrated ability to reinvent more sustainable and affordable health plan offerings will help drive PopHealthCare and Emcara Health’s next stage of growth.”

Before joining PopHealthCare, Galvin served as the executive vice president and chief growth and medical cost officer for EmblemHealth and the president of ConnectiCare.

Empath Health announces new clinical leaders

Empath Health, a Sarasota, Florida-based home health and hospice provider, announced two new senior-level medical chief positions.

Dr. Carol Li will serve as the new chief mission medical administrative officer and Dr. Neville Sarkari will serve as the new chief mission medical affairs officer.

Empath Health provides home health, hospice and home care services in the Tampa Bay and Southwest Florida areas to more than 14,000 patients per day. The provider also provides palliative and primary care.

Empath Health also runs a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) operation.

“We pride ourselves on the expert medical care we provide to our patients Dr. Li and Dr. Sarkari will help ensure we continue but also work to increase this excellence while continuing to make Empath Health a premier employment destination for physicians,” Empath Health CEO Rafael J. Sciullo said in a press release.

Li will oversee Empath’s medical staff, including three of the company’s hospice locations. Most recently, Li was Suncoast Hospice’s medical director.

Sarkari will work on patient, family and client satisfaction while focusing on patient satisfaction within Empath Health’s medical programs. Before this role, Sarkari was the executive vice president and chief medical officer of Tidewell Hospice, which is a hospice division under the Empath Health umbrella.