September Sees Executive Moves at Mayo, Providence, Humana; Layoffs Hit Health Systems
A September 2026 summary of personnel changes included several health system and payer leadership appointments. Mayo Clinic named Arun Kumar Bhaskara-Baba its new CIO, and Providence appointed Kevin Smith as CFO, effective in October. Cone Health hired Ryan Christensen as chief value-based care officer, while Humana brought on J.P Holland as its Medicaid president. Separately, Centene announced CFO Drew Asher will retire at the end of the year, and Tufts Medicine’s CEO Mike Dandorph and CFO Andrew Devoe are stepping down amid a financial turnaround.
Healthcare vendors and pharmaceutical companies also announced executive changes. AI startup Adonis hired Alison Bloom-Kiefer as chief product officer and promoted Doug Pickett to chief revenue officer. Following two acquisitions, care navigation company Quantum Health named Jamie Hall its chief commercial officer and Daniel Stein its chief strategy officer. Merck appointed Bart Gourley as its chief AI officer.
Several organizations announced workforce reductions. Cellares plans to lay off about 100 employees after Bristol Myers Squibb terminated a manufacturing partnership. MaineHealth is eliminating 83 positions in its IT and analytics departments through a consolidation. Sharp HealthCare announced a realignment affecting 260 employees, its second round of layoffs in just over a year, citing rising costs and policy changes after reporting a $173.5 million operating loss.