Garen Cox – President and Chief Executive Officer
He has served as the company’s President, CEO, and General Counsel since 2003. Mr. Cox has been working with the Company since 1976 providing legal counsel while operating his private general law practice which included representing personal injury clients and also indigent defendants in criminal matters for the State of Kansas.
Mr. Cox has led the Company through the transition to an ESOP company and has expanded the Company into new lines of business over the past 10 years. His unique set of talents as an operator and attorney provides a perspective that creates a focus on quality care and operating performance. His presence in the Kansas healthcare market is unsurpassed, and he provides the leadership and vision to guide the Company through a constantly changing healthcare market.
Read MoreEducation:
Graduate of Kansas University with a Bachelor of Science in Education (1973), and graduate of Washburn School of Law (1976).
Professional Memberships and Affiliations:
Member of the American Bar Association, American Association of Justice, American Health Lawyers Association, Kansas Bar Association, Southeast Kansas Bar Association, Montgomery County Bar Association, American Management Association, and an Associate Member of the American Medical Directors Association.
Special Services:
Participated in the Long Term Care Consortium, a national group of Long Term Care Leaders who developed standards and guidelines for the implementation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for providers of Long Term Care in America (2003).
Served on the Governor’s Long-Term Care Task Force for the State of Kansas (appointed by Governor Bill Graves).
Currently serves on the American Health Care Association’s Medical Liability Reform Subcommittee (2004 to present) and the Kansas Health Care Association’s Tort Reform Subcommittee (Chair, 2004 to present). Kansas Health Care Association’s Multi-Facility Vice-President (2005 to present), and member of its Board of Directors. In 2006 was presented with the Kansas Health Care Association’s Distinguished Service Award.
Has served or is presently serving on other groups related to the improvement of the health care community and volunteer groups and has served as a registered lobbyist for the health-care needs of the elderly in the State of Kansas.
Appointed by the Speaker of the Kansas House, Doug Mays, and reappointed by speaker Melvin Neufeld in 2008 to serve on the Kansas Health Policy Authority under what was described by Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius as “one of the most significant reorganizations in the history of state government in Kansas” (August 2005). Senate confirmation November 1, 2005. Chaired Selection Committee for Legal Counsel and appointed to chair the Governance and Nomination Committee and the Finance and Audit Committee. Board oversees $2.2 billion dollar budget with a department of approximately 300 employees.
Garen Cox is active in the Kansas Health Care Association and has been selected by the American Health Care Association / National Center for Assisted Living to serve on their national Legal Committee and Regional Multifacility Council.
Fred Benjamin – Chief Operating Officer
He has served as the Company’s Chief Operating Officer since May, 2009. His 30-year career includes senior management roles in skilled and sub-acute care, hospitals and other for-profit and not-for-profit ventures.
He was the Founder and served as Chief Executive Officer and Board Member of Boulevard Healthcare, a $90 million investor-funded, skilled-care, sub-acute and rehab provider with 13 facilities, 2200 beds and including management company, therapy and rehabilitation services, where he implemented a unique, sub-acute and complex medical care vision, utilizing clinical units in skilled facilities to partner with physicians and hospitals.
Read MoreHe also served as President, Board Member and Founder of CarePath, an extended-care facility network of 3,500 beds with sub-acute and long-term care services, developing partnerships with healthcare systems, managed care organizations and physicians.
He held a series of senior-level administrative roles at Grant Hospital of Chicago including responsibility for day-to-day operations. He led implementation of Total Quality Management and cost-reduction strategies and was responsible for creation of a nursing home liaison program involving more than 50 facilities and leading to over 3,000 hospital admissions.
Mr. Benjamin was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Medicine of Chicago. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE). He was appointed by successive Governors of the State of Illinois to serve as Chairman of the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board and appointed by Illinois Attorney General to serve on his Nursing Home Advisory Committee. He has served on the Boards of many healthcare organizations.
Fred Benjamin is active in the Kansas Health Care Association and has been selected by the American Health Care Association / National Center for Assisted Living to serve on their national Finance Committee.
Education:
University of Chicago, Graduate School of Business, Master of Business Administration, MBA
University of Illinois School of Public Health, Master of Public Health, MPH
Scott L. Hines – Chief Financial Officer
He was appointed to the CFO position in June of 2008 to lead the company through system conversion and a restructuring process to reduce cost and improve services. Mr. Hines has over ten years of experience with a regional public accounting firm located in Kansas City, Missouri, and served as a senior manager providing audit and accounting services, general financial consulting, merger and acquisition, and various fraud investigation and litigation support services. He provided services for both public and non-public companies in a variety of industries: long-term health care, manufacturing, distribution, reinsurance and insurance agency, insurance brokerage, and engineering. Consulting services included due diligence evaluation and post-closing integration services on acquisitions.
Read MoreMr. Hines’ experience in dealing with complex financial and legal matters along with system conversion provides the skills to lead the financial management of the Company. He joined the Company in 2007 serving as corporate Controller and quickly demonstrated his leadership skills and industry experience to expand his role within the Company.
Education:
Kansas State University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, majoring in accounting (1997).