Amedisys announced Monday Chief Operating Officer Chris Gerard will become president and CEO of the home health and hospice giant in April when Chairman and CEO Paul Kusserow retires. Kusserow will continue on as chairman of the board.
“It is hard to quantify the impact that Paul has had on Amedisys and myself,” Gerard said in a statement. “I want to thank him and the board of directors of Amedisys for their confidence and trust in me, and I am truly humbled by the opportunity to follow Paul as Amedisys’ third CEO.”
Gerard joined Amedisys as chief operating office in 2016 from Kindred at Home where he served a variety of roles, including COO and regional president.
The incoming CEO acknowledged he will have big shoes to fill as he takes over the reins from Kusserow, who joined Amedisys in 2014 and improved its Patient Care Star score from 3.5 stars to 4.3 stars. Kusserow also expanded the Baton Rouge, LA-based firm, adding personal care, palliative care, hospital at home and skilled nursing facility (SNF) at home to the firm’s core services of home health and hospice.
Last year, Kusserow inked a handful of partnerships and acquisitions, including the purchase of Nashville-based Contessa which provides hospital at home and SNF-at-home services. The deal is expected to expand Amedisys’ in-home market from $44 billion annually to $73 billion.
“Having the opportunity to be part of and lead Amedisys for the past seven years has genuinely been the highlight of my career,” Kusserow said in a statement. “Seeing what we have built since 2014, the talent we have developed, the patients we have cared for and the quality care we have focused on and delivered has been simply astonishing. Though there is so much to be proud of, I am especially proud of the team we have assembled across the organization which is why I am so confident in a seamless transition to Chris.”
Gerard assumes control of Amedisys at a time when headwinds are buffeting the company’s home health and hospice units. In the third quarter of 2021, which ended Sept. 30, Amedisys reported its net revenues declined 37.5% over the same period in 2020. Gerard assured investors that he is prepared to tackle the ongoing challenges of the pandemic.
“Our organization is uniquely positioned in the market, and I am excited about the significant growth opportunities in front of us and our ability to execute on them. It’s a great time to be at Amedisys,” Gerard said.
