AHHC of NC Welcomes New Board Members, Leadership

RALEIGH, North Carolina—The Association for Home and Hospice Care of North Carolina (AAHC of NC) recently announced the appointment of five newly-elected board directors, who will serve three-year terms.

“The Association for Home and Hospice Care of North Carolina is extremely honored to have such a diverse board of directors,” said Tim Rogers, president and CEO. “Our board is comprised of 26 individuals who are in the homecare, home health, hospice and palliative care industry. Our association is proud to have board members who are dedicated to advocating for the patients and families in need of services in North Carolina. They devote their time to supporting the mission of our association and the betterment of quality patient care.”

The board’s new members are listed below:

Dean Forman—Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer, VIA Health Partners

Dean Forman currently serves as the chief strategy officer (CSO) of VIA Health Partners. Before joining VIA Health Partners in 2023, Forman was the chief operating officer (COO) at Chapters Health System in Tampa, Florida, where he advanced their growth, operational oversight and organizational initiatives. Prior to his time in Florida, Forman was the vice president of operations for the Maryland and Mid-Atlantic region at Seasons Hospice and Palliative Care. While there, he made contributions to the organization’s growth by addressing aging, complex chronic illness and end-of-life concerns. Forman has served on the boards of the state hospice and palliative care associations in Maryland and Florida, which are both Certificate of Need (CON) states. In Maryland, he was treasurer and served on the board’s executive committee.

Shannon McCarson—Regional Director, BAYADA Home Health Care

Shannon McCarson serves as regional director of the Southeast and Midwest for BAYADA Home Health Care. He has been in the homecare industry with BAYADA for more than 25 years. McCarson has diverse experience in home aide care, private duty nursing and intellectual disability services. Throughout his career, McCarson has been on multiple AHHC committees, serving for multiple terms and as a member of the executive committee. He is a long-time member of CarePac and serves on the board of directors for the Hearts for Home Care advocacy organization, an advocacy arm of BAYADA Home Health Care. McCarson assisted BAYADA’s international expansion, establishing a Home Health Care location in Dublin, Ireland in 2016. McCarson earned his bachelor’s degree in English and secondary education from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Jamie M. Simmons—Senior Director of Home Health, 3HC Home Health and Hospice Care

Jamie Simmons has worked in the home health and hospice industry for nearly 20 years, participating in all service lines at 3HC. She has worked as an intake, visiting and Baylor nurse, as well as a home health case manager. Simmons has held many leadership positions at 3HC and is now the senior director of home health services. Over the years, she has been involved with numerous internal committees and community projects. Simmons was a part of Sampson County’s chamber leadership, a panelist at Wayne County’s first rural health summit and helped lead the team through the COVID-19 pandemic and two CON applications. Additionally, Simmons served on AHHC’s clinical/regulatory committee, with a focus on home health, hospice waivers and annual association meetings. She has participated in advocacy at both state and national levels, having a passion for the industry and serving North Carolina’s residents. Her goal is to ensure the home health industry thrives and overcomes obstacles by utilizing education, innovation, partnerships, compassion and advocacy.

Mike Smith—President & CEO, Hospice Palliative Care of Iredell County

Mike Smith is the president and CEO of Hospice and Palliative Care of Iredell County, as well as vice chair of the Southern Care Collaborative. Previously, Smith held the role of chief financial officer (CFO) at Hospice of the Piedmont in Charlottesville, Virginia, where he managed finance, IT and business intelligence. Additionally, he was CFO/COO of Four Seasons Compassion for Life in Flat Rock, North Carolina. Smith received his undergraduate degree in accounting from Appalachian State University, his master of business administration from Charleston Southern University and is currently pursuing his doctor of strategic leadership at Liberty University. He is a certified healthcare financial professional and is actively involved with the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice. Smith serves on several community boards, including The Dove House Child Advocacy Center, Iredell Adult Day Services and Rotary of Statesville.

Steven Smith—Director of Home Health Services, WakeMed Home Health

Steven Smith has more than 15 years of home health care experience. Smith has a bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy and a master’s degree in health science from the University of Florida. His work history includes occupation therapist, rehab director and branch/area director over multiple offices across South Carolina. He is currently the director of home health services for WakeMed in Raleigh. There, Smith has reduced the turnover rate to under 20%, brought the hospital-based agency back to profitability, and launched a personal care service program. During COVID, Smith helped launch Hospital at Your Home, which provided acute care at home and helped meet patient needs. Smith has served on the insurance and managed care committee for the Association of Home and Hospice Care of North Carolina. Recently, he helped the Association navigate the recent Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) issues, which have impacted providers since its launch in October 2023.

Board Chair Barbara Knott—Vice President of Continuing Care Services, UNC Health

Barbara Knott has worked in the post-acute industry for over 35 years, with experience in home health, hospice, palliative care, home infusion pharmacy and HME. Prior to taking her current role as vice president of continuing care services for UNC Health in Chapel Hill, Knott was regional executive director for home care at Kaiser Permanente in Southern California. Her experience includes health system office VP of home care services for Bon Secours Health System in Maryland and executive director of home care at Barnabas Health in New Jersey.

Immediate Past Chair Michael Lalor—Chief Medical Officer, Trellis Supportive Care

Michael Lalor is the chief medical officer for Trellis Supportive Care, formerly known as Hospice and Palliative Care Center, in Winston-Salem. Lalor is an assistant professor of medicine at Wake Forest University and the co-director of palliative care for Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, where he previously served as the director of the hospice and palliative medicine fellowship. Lalor earned his medical degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and his MBA in health care management from West Texas A&M University. He has more than 18 years of experience in hospice regulatory affairs and has lectured on regulatory topics affecting physicians. He serves on the palliative care advisory committee for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina. Lalor is a member of the American Association for Physician Leadership, the American College of Healthcare Executives and is an alumnus of the Leadership College of the North Carolina Medical Society.

Vice Chair Kristen Yntema—President and CEO, AuthoraCare Collective

Kristen Yntema is the president and CEO of AuthoraCare Collective, a nonprofit hospice and palliative care organization in North Carolina. Previously, Yntema was vice president of regional development and innovation at Advanced Home Care and executive director of the health services division at Cone Health. She began her career as an administrative fellow with Cone Health in Greensboro. Yntema was named one of Triad Business Journal’s “40 Leaders Under 40” in 2011 and “Outstanding Women in Business” in 2016. She was recognized by the Triad Business Journal, being named one of the most admired CEOs of the Triad area in 2019.  Yntema has served on the National Hospice and Palliative Care board, as the chair of Cone Health Foundation board and is a member of the youth council committee for Westminster Presbyterian Church. She has a master’s of health services administration and an MBA from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, while her bachelor’s degree is from Elon University.

Treasurer Chris Paterson—CEO, Carolina Complete Health 

Chris Paterson is the CEO of Carolina Complete Health. After receiving his undergraduate, master’s and PhD degrees from Ohio State University, Paterson interned at the University of Florida and served on the faculty of the University of Miami. Throughout his career, Paterson has managed operations, strategic planning, community relations and the introduction of innovative care management models and programs. He has worked with Centene for 15 years, serving as a community affairs officer and CEO of their Florida subsidiary, Sunshine Health. He has held many titles over the years, including CEO of CareGuide, regional president of UnitedHealth Group’s AmeriChoice Corporation, CEO of AmeriChoice’s health plan in Pennsylvania, EVP of Merit Behavioral Care Corporation and president of Tennessee Behavioral Health. Paterson is a trustee for Central Piedmont Community College and serves as a board member for many different organizations, including the NC Association of Home and Hospice Care, NC Child and the NC Associate of Health Plans. Previously, Paterson was the board chair for both the Urban League of Broward County and the Florida Association of Health Plans, as well as a board member of the Orange Bowl Committee.

Secretary Ken Helmuth—Owner, Right at Home

Ken Helmuth has more than 30 years of diverse experience in the health care industry. He has been a leader of various sales and marketing teams within the health care industry for more than 20 years. He has experience in caring for loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease, cancer or permanent disabilities. Helmuth aims to serve clients, their families, caregivers and the community. In 2014, he established the Right at Home office in Durham, which services the Durham, Orange, Person and Chatham counties. He has made an impact on the Raleigh/Durham and greater Charlotte communities by hiring caregivers who provide exceptional care to age-in-place individuals. Helmuth seeks to expand his expertise, knowledge and the quality of life for his clients and their families.