Brookdale Senior Living (NYSE: BKD) Chief Information Officer Chris Bayham has left the company after one year.
Bayham is joining XSOLIS, a health care technology firm based in Nashville, Tennessee, as chief operating officer. He will be responsible for strategic planning and operational execution across XSOLIS’ technology and service lines.
Founded in 2013 as a denial resolution specialist for hospital systems, XSOLIS expanded its clientele across the health care continuum and is now developing an artificial intelligence network for data-driven utilization management solutions between payers and providers.
Bayham joined Brentwood, Tennessee-based Brookdale last August after three years at Nashville-based health care technology company Change Healthcare (Nasdaq: CHNG), including nearly 18 months as CIO. His resume also includes two years as CIO for Cardinal Health at Home, Cardinal Health’s home health division, as well as stops at Twinsburg, Ohio-based AssuraMed and UnitedHealthcare Specialty Benefits, a subsidiary of Minnetonka, Minnesota-based UnitedHealthcare.
During his tenure at Brookdale, the company launched several initiatives to accelerate improvements in its sales cycles, while restructuring its portfolio to position it for future demand in assisted living and forging closer ties to health systems, which CEO Cindy Baier believes can positively benefit penetration rates.
Brookdale has experienced several personnel moves among its leadership ranks, following its merger with Emeritus Corp. in 2015. Bayham’s predecessor as CIO, Andrew Laudato, left the company in December 2018 to pursue opportunities outside of senior living, along with other executives.
Brookdale, the largest senior housing operator in the country, was making progress on its turnaround strategy before the industry was disrupted by Covid-19. Its overall occupancy fell to 76.6% in the second quarter of 2020, but a master lease restructuring with Chicago-based health care REIT Ventas (NYSE: VTR) resulted in $500 million in rent savings through 2025.
Brookdale wishes Bayham well on his new endeavor, a company spokesperson told Senior Housing News.