Compassus names Kathy Winn as senior vice president, chief marketing officer

Compassus, a Brentwood, Tennessee-based home health care provider, announced Kathy Winn will serve as the company’s new senior vice president and chief marketing officer.

Winn comes to Compassus from LifePoint Health, where she previously served as the vice president of strategic marketing.

“I’m excited to join a company that has a strong, established brand and is committed to living its brand promise at every level of the organization, from the care it delivers to patients and families to the attention it places on the well-being of its team members,” Winn said in a press release. “I am looking forward to working alongside a team of passionate, talented individuals to raise awareness of Compassus’ high-quality services to help more patients and families.”

Along with home health services, Compassus also provides infusion therapy, palliative care and hospice care through 200 locations across 30 states.

In January, the company named David Grams as the new CEO. Grams succeeded Jim Deal, who is still with Compassus as chairman of the board.

“As the demand for home-based health care services continues to grow, Compassus is well-positioned to expand services to more people and communities across the country,” Grams said in a press release. “I am confident that under Kathy’s leadership the Compassus brand will continue to strengthen, reflecting our commitment to meeting the needs of patients and families managing advanced illnesses.”

HCP names Kristen Duell new CMO

Idaho-based research and education firm Home Care Pulse has named Kristen Duell as its new chief marketing officer.

In a press release, Duell said she is thrilled to join Home Care Plus, a company — a research company that reports on workforce and financial developments — that aligns with her own beliefs.

“As an advocate for women in healthcare, I see three ways agencies can act as catalysts for change: developing leaders within their organizations, creating meaningful career paths, and leveraging solutions that facilitate integration between personal and professional lives,” Duell said in the press release.

Before joining HCP, Duell served as the executive vice president of KanTime.

“Kristen brings a unique mix of healthcare leadership and passion for mobilizing all facets of the pre- and post-acute care space, which will transform how agencies adapt to rising challenges,” Todd Austin, president of HCP said. “After working closely with Kristen for many years, we are delighted to integrate her experience and relationships into our products and services, continuing to provide tools to help agencies overcome workforce shortages and deliver superior care.”

Duell is one of the founders of IDEAL for Healthcare, a group advocating for better representation and career ladders for women. –

“I won’t beat around the bush about it, you cannot really have a conversation about retention if you’re not willing to have a conversation about diversity, inclusion, belonging,” Duell said recently on a webinar hosted by AlayaCare. “That’s what IDEAL is for.”

Synergy HomeCare taps Louwana Ball as VP of operations

Synergy Homecare has added to its leadership team, announcing Louwana Ball as its VP of operations.

As part of the company’s senior management team, Ball will report to Synergy CEO Charlie Young and focus on accelerating the franchise’s growth strategies.

“I’m looking forward to enhancing and streamlining our business processes to create an agile operations model that can drive long-term franchise profitability and value,” Ball said in a press release. “The ability to create pull-through from headquarters to home will be vital in helping our franchisees connect with clients in their community and help them live their best lives.”

​​Synergy is a Gilbert, Arizona-based non-medical home care franchise that operates more than 400 locations nationwide. The company offers companionship services, in addition to personal assistance, housekeeping, live-in care and 24-hour home care services.

Before joining Synergy, Ball spent more than 15 years in franchise operations. Her most recent role was the associate vice president of operations with Regis Corporation, a franchisor with brands like Supercuts, Smart Style and Roosters.

“Louwana’s proven success in delivering highly effective ways to bolster franchisee business development at a local level will figure prominently in her new role in advancing the organization’s industry-leading growth,” Young said in a statement.

Axxess welcomes PwC veteran Tom Codd as company’s first-ever Chief People Officer

Axxess, the Dallas-based home health software provider, has created a brand new role in the company to help manage its growth worldwide.

Tom Codd, former PwC partner, was named its “chief people officer.”

“It’s rare to have the opportunity to hire someone with Tom’s leadership ability and breadth of experience across so many areas of business,” John Olajide, Axxess founder and CEO, said in a press release. “As we grow our interests around the world, Tom will play a critical role in helping manage our most valuable asset – our people.”

Olajide and Codd worked alongside each other through the Dallas Regional Chamber of Commerce on the DRC’s executive committee.

“While working at PwC and the Dallas Regional Chamber, I was impressed with the Axxess success story and John’s natural leadership abilities,” Codd said. “Like John, I have always emphasized the value of creating a cooperative, collaborative work environment that helps everyone succeed, and I’m looking forward to working with the entire leadership team to ensure we have the best people possible as the company continues to grow.”