DALLAS—AccentCare, a post-acute health care provider, announced Laura Tortorella will join the organization as CEO on Oct. 2. Current CEO Steve Rodgers will step down after 11 years and serve as an advisor through the remainder of 2023 to allow for a successful transition.
Tortorella steps into the role after serving as the chief operational officer (COO) at Steward Health System since 2020 and with the organization since 2010. In her role as COO, she led the organization through the most complex of operational challenges, including managing supply chain and labor management during the COVID-19 pandemic and leading integration efforts for all of Steward’s acquisitions. Tortorella brings expertise to the home health space after serving as a leader for an organization that operates as an integrated health care delivery system, performed as an ACO and has more than 30,000 employees, 33 community hospitals across nine states and a medical group of more than 1,700 providers.
“Laura has one of the sharpest analytical and entrepreneurial mindsets in the field and has spent her entire career building highly functioning teams that are committed to culture, performance, accountability and collaboration," said Carmine Petrone, managing director at Advent International and owner of AccentCare. "She knows what is needed to maintain AccentCare’s position as a leader in the industry for years to come. She has seen firsthand the value of home health and hospice care within the continuum of post-acute services and understands the critical needs an organization like AccentCare is working to solve. Laura is the right leader to bring AccentCare to new heights moving forward. At the same time, I want to thank Steve for his many contributions to the success of the organization after being at the helm for more than a decade as CEO. He has been a trusted partner, and I wish him the best in the future.”
Given her experience working at an integrated health system, Tortorella understands the role AccentCare plays in the current value-based health care environment and sees an opportunity to expand AccentCare’s relationships with health systems and payers. Tortorella intends to use her experience bringing stakeholders together through a data-driven approach to identify where AccentCare can create new partnerships with health systems and payers to deliver more high-quality care to patients in need.
“I am honored and thrilled to join AccentCare. I keenly understand the importance of high-quality post-acute care services in my role helping lead one of the nation’s largest health systems,” said Tortorella. “For patients, family members, referring clinicians and health systems, it can be difficult to find a clinical partner in post-acute care. The role that AccentCare plays in our health care system is vital, and I look forward to working with the 30,000 compassionate AccentCare professionals across the nation to meet the country’s growing post-acute care needs.”
As Rodgers departs the organization, he leaves behind a legacy of growth and evolution within a changing industry. Under Rodgers’ leadership, AccentCare has expanded to 255 locations serving 31 states and the District of Columbia, and its workforce has grown to more than 30,000 employees.
“I have had the honor of working with an incredible team at AccentCare for more than a decade,” said Rodgers. “During that time, the organization has experienced growth through the expansion of existing services into new markets, creation of joint ventures with leading health systems, acquisitions and mergers and the addition of new care offerings. Looking back to where we started and seeing where we stand now, I am incredibly proud of what we accomplished, and I look forward to working with Laura as she assumes the role of CEO.”
