Meridian Senior Living, one of the largest providers in the United States, has made several changes to its executive leadership team.
Bethesda, Maryland-based Meridian ranked No. 21 on the 2021 largest providers list from industry association Argentum, with 78 U.S. communities. With 26 communities in China, Meridian also ranked among the largest U.S.-based providers with international properties.
Meridian has made the following changes to its executive team, according to information that the company provided to Senior Housing News in an email:
— Kacy Kang is stepping down from his role as president and COO, but will remain on the parent company’s board and will become a senior advisor to Meridian
— Meridian’s Co-CEO Robert Sweet will serve as president, with “direct oversight of community operations”
— Daniel Castleberry — who preceded Kang in heading up operations — will become COO and no longer serve as chief investment officer
— Director of International Operations Robert Arsenault will become chief clinical officer
Kang, who joined Meridian in 2010, has taken a position as president of hospice with Amedisys (Nasdaq: AMED), according to his LinkedIn profile.
Baton Rouge-based Amedisys is among the largest at-home care providers in the United States. Although the “lingering and prolonged effect of Covid-19” compromised the projected growth rate of the company’s hospice business in Q2 2021, Amedisys executives were bullish on the segment.
“We feel good about what we’ve done in hospice,” said Amedisys CEO Paul Kusserow. “We went out about two years ago and started buying up hospices, going from the eighth-largest to the third-largest hospice and spending about $700 million to build up our presence.”
Kusserow said that Amedisys’ acquisition of Contessa Health — which provides hospital-at-home and skilled nursing-at-home services — should help further build its hospice business.
Meridian was founded in 2010; six years later, the company split up into two entities. About 40% of the portfolio remained under the Meridian banner, while about 60% of the portfolio became Affinity Living Group, which has since rebranded as ALG Senior.
While ALG Senior’s portfolio is heavily concentrated in the Northeast, Meridian has maintained a nationwide footprint.
Among the communities slated to join Meridian’s portfolio is Worthington Manor, under development in Conroe, Texas. The 118-unit assisted living and memory care property is being constructed on 26 acres previously owned by the Wedgewood Golf Club, and could be joined in the future by active adult apartments, independent living apartments and villas.
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