Visiting Nurse Association Health Group (VNA Health Group) has named a new board chair and vice chair, among other leadership appointments.

Beginning in 2024, Robert Dibble will succeed Patrick McMenamin as chairman of the organization’s Board of Trustees. Eileen O’Hern Luby will serve as vice chair. Long-time board member Kathy Jones will become the board’s new secretary, and Patrick Boyle, another long-standing board member of the Board, will take on the role of treasurer.

“I am deeply honored to accept the position of chairman of the board for VNA Health Group,” Dibble said in a statement. “Having served on the board and seen the incredible dedication of our team firsthand for years, I am excited to continue working alongside my fellow trustees, VNA’s leadership team and dedicated staff to advance the mission of helping individuals and families achieve their best level of well-being.”

Dibble previously served as the board’s vice chair, as well as chairman of VNA’s Compensation Committee for more than 10 years. He was heavily involved in the selection of the company’s new CEO, Christopher Rinn, who took the helm in August. He is also managing director and head of human resources of the Americas for Deutsche Bank.

Luby is currently the board’s secretary and chair of the Ethics Committee. During her tenure on the board, she spearheaded an agreement for the Cristine Meredith Miele Fund (CMMF) to become a restricted fund of the VNA of Central Jersey Foundation.

CMMF now provides supplemental funding to the VNA’s Cancer Education and Early Detection Program (CEED) and expands the program’s reach by providing mammograms to those who previously may not have qualified due to income restrictions.

“We warmly welcome our new board leadership, and I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the outgoing leadership for their unwavering dedication. I especially want to thank [McMenamin] for his exceptional guidance,” said Christopher Rinn, president and CEO of VNA Health Group, in a statement. “I am confident that we will continue to profoundly impact the health and well-being of the communities we serve. We will carry forward VNA Health Group’s mission with enthusiasm and determination.”

Blue Ridge Hospice Taps Altonia Garrett as COO

Altonia Garrett has been tapped to become chief operating officer of Blue Ridge Hospice.

As COO, Garrett oversees all day-to-day operations and service delivery for the Virginia-based hospice and palliative care provider. 

Garret previously served as executive director of AccentCare’s Washington D.C., location, as well as in a number of leadership roles at Capital Caring Health. During her time at Capital Caring, she worked in executive leadership, health equity advocacy, public affairs, hospice operations, and clinical supervision. 

She was the founder and executive director of Capital Caring’s Center for Equity, Inclusion and Diversity.

“Altonia’s depth of operational knowledge, commitment to excellence, and record of advocacy in public policy, mission fulfillment and diversity and equity will help propel Blue Ridge Hospice forward during a time of rapid change in health care,” stated Cheryl Hamilton Fried, president and CEO of Blue Ridge Hospice and Blue Ridge Independence at Home, in an announcement.

Hospice of the Chesapeake CEO Stepping Down

Hospice of the Chesapeake President and CEO Michael Brady has resigned effective Jan. 30, 2024. He has accepted a position at a not-for-profit continuing care retirement community in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Brady joined the Maryland-based hospice provider as CFO in Dec. 2017 and was promoted to CEO in early 2021.

The organization’s board has appointed COO Rebecca Miller as the company’s interim president and CEO. Miller came to the hospice as its chief clinical officer and became COO in 2022.

“Mike has led the organization during a period of tremendous growth and expansion. We are incredibly grateful for his leadership during the acquisition of Hospice of the Charles County and Calvert Hospice, which secured Hospice of the Chesapeake’s position as the largest independent not-for-profit hospice and palliative care organization in the state of Maryland.” said Nancy Smit, chair of the Hospice of the Chesapeake board of directors. “Mike also carefully navigated the organization through the COVID-19 pandemic while ensuring patients and families received the care they needed and deserved.”

Center for Hospice Care Taps New CEO

Indiana-based Center for Hospice Care (CHC) has tapped John Mastrojohn III as its new president and CEO, following an extensive national search.

In addition, he will become president and CEO of the organization’s sub-agencies, the Hospice Foundation, Global Partners in Care and Milton Adult Day Services.

We are excited to welcome John to Center for Hospice Care and our community,” Kurt Janowsky, CHC Board Chairman, said in a press release. “John brings a solid background of success and experience to our organization, and we look forward to his leadership and insight.”

Mastrojohn formerly served as COO for the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), founding director of Palliative Care & Hospice Services for Summa Health System, and most recently, executive vice president and COO at Hospice of the Western Reserve in Cleveland, Ohio.

“I am excited to be joining the team at Center for Hospice Care and to be part of an organization that has a longstanding reputation for excellence,” Mastrojohn said.