Recent Executive Appointments
Behavioral healthcare provider Acadia Healthcare brought back Debra Osteen as CEO, replacing Chris Hunter and taking the helm immediately as the company navigates a steep stock decline and mounting legal and financial challenges. Osteen previously led Acadia from 2018 to 2022 and was an executive at Universal Health Services. Clinical decision support startup Aidoc appointed Jesse Ehrenfeld as chief medical officer; Ehrenfeld, an anesthesiologist by training, is the former president of the American Medical Association. Healthcare consultancy Chartis added Sara Vaezy as chief product and technology officer, after she spent a decade at Providence as chief transformation officer. Scribing platform Heidi Health hired Nancy Cibotti as U.S. chief medical information officer from Beth Israel Lahey Health. E-prescribing platform DrFirst appointed Valerie Mondelli as chief commercial officer, following previous roles at Iodine Software, RevSpring, Eli Lilly, and McKesson. Healthcare data analytics company MedeAnalytics welcomed David Figueredo as chief innovation officer from Experian. Health data platform Particle Health hired Abhi Sindhwani as its first chief growth officer from the Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare. Ambient AI startup Suki added Abhi Pathak as its first chief product officer, joining from care navigation company Accolade.
Promotions and Leadership Changes
Kidney care company Interwell Health appointed Carney Taylor, a nephrologist who joined Fresenius in 2020, as chief medical officer. He succeeds George Hart, who retired January 1. VSP Vision named Dave Plevyak, who joined the company in 2016, as chief insurance officer.
Workforce Reductions
Multiple healthcare organizations announced significant layoffs. Hennepin Healthcare in Minnesota is eliminating five medical programs and approximately 100 full-time roles due to a $50 million budget shortfall. Horizon BCBS New Jersey laid off 242 employees, representing roughly 8% of its workforce over the past year. Pharmaceutical giant Takeda is cutting 243 jobs across 47 states, primarily its neuroscience sales force, as it prepares for loss of patent exclusivity on its depression drug Trintellix. Gene-editing biotech Tessera Therapeutics laid off 90 employees, roughly 35% of its workforce. Michigan-based Trinity Health is eliminating 10.5% of its revenue cycle staff, outsourcing that work to a vendor as part of a cost-reduction plan driven by low reimbursements and rising expenses.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://medcitynews.com/2026/01/healthcare-moves-layoffs/