RICHMOND, Virginia—Accendra Health, Inc. named Kenneth Gardner-Smith as the company’s next president and chief executive officer. Gardner-Smith, who has served on the company’s board of directors since March 2022, is expected to assume the role early in the fourth quarter 2026. He will succeed Edward A. Pesicka, who announced his intent to retire in August.
“I’m proud to lead Accendra Health as we enter this next chapter,” said Gardner-Smith. “Having served on the board since 2022, I’ve had a front-row seat to Accendra Health’s transformation into a pure-play home-based care company. My priority now is to build on our progress and invest in the business to drive long-term growth and stability, all while keeping patients, providers and partners at the center of everything we do. I’m confident we have the right strategy to get there, and I'm looking forward to building on Ed's legacy alongside the team.”
Gardner-Smith brings experience running large-scale patient care operations and guiding transformations. He currently serves as chief executive officer of Veritas Veterinary Partners, a national specialty and emergency veterinary platform. Prior to that, Gardner-Smith served in a variety of operating roles over 13 years at DaVita, including nine years as a senior profit and loss owner managing $1.5 billion in operations and most recently as a senior executive, where he supported teams across more than 3,000 facilities in 13 countries.
The company said Gardner-Smith has been part of the board’s long-term executive succession planning for several years, having been identified as a potential successor soon after joining the board. He was selected following a search process that considered both internal and external candidates.
The board said it is confident that Gardner-Smith is the optimal leader to guide Accendra Health into its next chapter. He brings a combination of attributes well-suited to this moment: the operating experience of an outside healthcare executive, paired with the firsthand knowledge of the company’s strategy, culture and people. Gardner-Smith was also involved in the board’s annual planning process and aims to leverage his track record to execute on initiatives that accelerate growth in higher-margin categories, enhance operating efficiency and drive continued investment in the business.
“We are thrilled to welcome Kenny as Accendra Health’s next president and chief executive officer,” said Mark Beck, chair of Accendra Health's board of directors. “Kenny brings more than 15 years of operating leadership in reimbursement-driven healthcare and deep knowledge of our strategy and operations, making him the board’s unanimous choice to lead Accendra Health. I look forward to partnering closely with him and the leadership team to build on the steps the company has taken in the past year and deliver on the significant opportunities ahead.”
“On behalf of the board, I want to thank Ed Pesicka for his more than seven years of leadership," Beck continued. "Thanks to his efforts, Kenny inherits a strong foundation with enhanced financial flexibility to pursue greater efficiency and growth.”
Pesicka will remain in his role of president and CEO until Gardner-Smith assumes the role, at which point he will also retire from the board of directors, as previously announced. He will continue to serve as an advisor to Gardner-Smith and the leadership team to ensure a smooth transition. The company said it expects no disruption to its operations or its ability to serve patients, providers and partners throughout the transition.