VITAS Healthcare has announced the promotion of several executives to key positions within its leadership team. The batch of promotions includes naming a new HME leader.
One of the largest providers of hospice and palliative care services in the U.S., VITAS and its 10,537 staff members provide care to over 19,000 patients daily, throughout 14 states and the District of Columbia.
Announced Feb. 8, the promotions move Kathleen Coronado, Anthony Cosma, Mario De La Rosa and Angela Hamrick up to Vice President roles at VITAS.
De La Rosa now becomes the company’s VP of HME Operations, leading its Home Medical Equipment division. De La Rosa’s two-decades-long tenure at VITAS has seen him take on various roles, including warehouse supervisor and national operations manager.
“He is responsible for continuing to evolve the level of internal collaboration among the HME business and operations teams, providing leadership across several key initiatives that drive continuous improvement, and increase efficiency through medical supply delivery and management,” noted a VITAS press release.
HME is a critical but often overlooked aspect of hospice services. At about 80 percent of its locations, VITAS maintains its own HME, delivery and staff, which allows the hospice provider to improve timely HME access for its patients.
In places where VITAS does not supply its own medical equipment, it works with local suppliers that meet its standards.
Additionally, all VITAS patients who have HME needs are connected with a medical service technician. The technician is considered part of the patient’s hospice team.
In general, hospice patients can have very different HME needs compared to the more typical home-based care patient. That’s true both because of their likely highly acute medical condition as well as their unique end-of-life care needs.
Along with De La Rosa’s promotion, Kathleen Coronado, a registered nurse, has been promoted to Associate VP of Hospice Operations. Starting out as a bedside nurse at VITAS in 2006, Coronado has held multiple roles within the organization, including Team Manager, Inpatient Unit Manager and Patient Care Administrator.
Meanwhile, Anthony Cosma II, a 12-year veteran of VITAS, assumes the role of VP of Hospice Operations. Having joined the company in 2012, Cosma has steadily progressed through the ranks, leading teams across clinical and operations departments. His new responsibilities involve overseeing hospice teams in Southern Florida.
Lastly, Angela Hamrick is taking on a VP of Hospice Operations role, overseeing teams in Northern Florida. Hamrick joined VITAS in 2021 as the General Manager in Gainesville.
