VITAS® Healthcare Honors Retired Hospice Veteran, Announces New Executive Leadership

/EIN News/ -- MIAMI, Nov. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VITAS Healthcare, the nation’s leading provider of end-of-life care and a best-in-class healthcare employer, proudly announces four major executive leadership changes:

• Bob Miller has retired after 35 years, most recently serving as executive vice president and chief compliance officer.
• Mary Hensley has been promoted to vice president and chief compliance officer.
• Reka Foldhazi has joined the company as senior vice president of finance.
• Sandhya Bhalla, MD, has been promoted to regional medical director in California.

A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on this link. 

After three and a half decades of service, Bob Miller officially retired from VITAS following a year-plus, carefully coordinated transition plan. Beginning his career with VITAS in 1989 as a chaplain in Broward County, Florida, Miller held various leadership roles, including national director of education and training, senior vice president of hospice operations and compliance officer. In 2016, Miller was promoted to executive vice president and chief compliance officer, where he successfully led the organization’s compliance and ethics program.

“Bob’s impact on VITAS cannot be overstated,” says Nick Westfall, chairman and CEO of VITAS. “His unparalleled 35-year commitment to ethics, integrity and compassion has helped shape VITAS into the trusted hospice leader we are today. He has been a mentor and friend to so many of us, and while it is hard to say goodbye, he will always be part of our VITAS family. We wish him the best in his well-deserved retirement and the exciting next chapter of his life where he’ll continue to make a positive difference through his community, church and everyone he interacts with on a daily basis.”

MARY HENSLEY, VP & CCO
As Miller steps down, VITAS is pleased to elevate Mary Hensley to vice president and chief compliance officer. Hensley joined VITAS in 2006 as a patient care administrator and has since demonstrated leadership and commitment in various roles, including general manager, national patient care administrator and senior regional director of compliance.

In July 2023, Hensley was appointed associate compliance officer, where she worked closely with Miller to ensure a smooth transition into her current role. In her new capacity, Hensley leads the organization’s compliance and ethics program, providing oversight on matters related to compliance, communication and training. Hensley holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Lewis University in Illinois.

REKA FOLDHAZI, SVP FINANCE
In addition to Hensley’s promotion, VITAS welcomes Reka Foldhazi as senior vice president of finance. Foldhazi brings more than 15 years of experience in financial planning and analysis, corporate development and strategic finance, having held senior leadership positions at companies such as FIS, JPMorgan Chase & Co and Neuberger Berman. She holds multiple advanced degrees, including master's degrees in business management and financial management from Harvard University and Boston University, respectively.

SANDHYA BHALLA, MD, REGIONAL MEDICAL DIRECTOR
Dr. Sandhya Bhalla’s expertise spans more than two decades with the latter decade focused on hospice and palliative care. She joined VITAS in 2023 as a medical director in San Diego, California. As regional medical director, Dr. Bhalla leads the medical direction for VITAS locations throughout California, from the Greater Sacramento Valley to San Diego.

She oversees the clinical care that hospice teams deliver to patients in their home, whether a nursing home, assisted living community, inpatient setting or private residence. She also educates caregivers, nurses, clinicians and business leaders about palliative and end-of-life care. Dr. Bhalla is board certified in palliative and internal medicine. She earned her medical degree from State University of New York in Stony Brook, where she also served as an internal medicine resident and chief medical resident. Her undergraduate studies were completed at the University of California at Santa Barbara.

“Mary, Reka and Dr. Bhalla’s impressive backgrounds and exceptional leadership embody the values that make VITAS a premier hospice provider,” said Westfall. “Just as I am confident in our leadership team across our organization, the expertise of these three professionals will be critical as we continue to grow and provide the best possible care for those whom we serve. Together, these leaders will help VITAS maintain its reputation for compassionate, patient-centered end-of-life care while expanding access to communities nationwide.” 

About VITAS® Healthcare 
Established in 1978, VITAS Healthcare is a pioneer and leader in the American hospice movement. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, VITAS (pronounced VEE-tahs) operates 55 hospice programs in 15 states (Alabama, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin) and the District of Columbia. VITAS employs 11,679 professionals who care for patients with advanced illness, primarily in the patients’ homes, and also in the company’s 27 inpatient hospice units as well as in hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living communities/residential care facilities for the elderly. At the conclusion of the third quarter of 2024, VITAS reported an average daily census of 21,977. Visit www.vitas.com.

Media inquiries contact: media@vitas.com, 877-848-2701