Radiology provider Envision Healthcare shakes up C-suite

Envision Healthcare is shaking up its C-suite, the Nashville-based multispecialty radiology provider announced recently. 

J. Michael Bruff took over as chief financial officer on Oct. 28 after previously serving as CFO for primary care provider ChenMed. He replaces Henry Howe, MBA, who will begin transitioning from the organization in January. 

Envision—which employs over 500 radiologists reading 6 million exams—was previously backed by private equity firm KKR. However, it filed for bankruptcy protection in May 2023 and exited the process in November.

Meanwhile, Envision’s Chief Information Officer Megan Barney also will be departing in January, with the company now searching for a replacement. Leaders said the changes are part of its “ongoing journey” to becoming a more “valuable and reliable partner to clinicians, hospitals and patients.”

Jason Owen, MBA, president and chief executive officer of Envision, said it has been an “honor and a privilege” to work alongside the two departing leaders. He took over as CEO in April, replacing Howe, who served as interim chief after Jim Rechtin, MBA, departed the company to lead Humana in October 2023. Howe held the temporary executive role from December 2023 until this past April. 

 “As CFO and interim CEO, Henry [Howe] led Envision through a pivotal time, positioning the medical group for growth,” Owen said in a statement. “As CIO, Megan [Barney] has played a crucial role in advancing strategic initiatives and implementing innovative solutions in how we support the delivery of care. We thank them for their strong leadership and dedication to Envision and our communities.”

New Envision CFO Michael Bruff has spent over 30 years in healthcare operations and leadership. Before ChenMed, he was CFO of Lifestance Health and filled the same role at Varian Medical Systems. Bruff remained chief of finance leading up to radiation therapy vendor’s “record-breaking” sale to Siemens Healthineers for $16.4 billion, which closed in April 2021

“Envision is well-recognized as a leader in the delivery of high-quality, patient-centered care,” Bruff said in the announcement, later adding: “I look forward to supporting them and advancing Envision’s mission of caring for people in their greatest time of need.”

In September, Envision also named Derik Reynecke as chief integration officer, Michelle Dean as chief people officer and Emily Ford as chief strategy officer. At last count, the company employes about 17,000 physicians and other providers, also operating in teleradiology, anesthesiology, critical care, and emergency and hospital medicine. 

Marty Stempniak

Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic. 

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