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Concentra Pink Slips Workers Post-Acquisition

Roughly 160 workers at the Valencia headquarters of U.S. HealthWorks are facing layoffs this year on account of the occupational health provider’s acquisition by Select Medical Holdings Corp. subsidiary Concentra Inc., according to a notice filed with the California Employment Development Department on Feb. 6. The layoffs are slated to begin in April, the documents said. Affected employees are being notified of their terminations throughout February. Forty-two positions will be scrapped between April 7 and May 25; the majority of them are director- or senior-level finance roles, including accountants, purchasing specialists and tax analysts. “As with any integration following an acquisition or merger, there are some staff reductions that are largely based on dual roles in both organizations that overlap as assessed against our current and future operational support and growth needs,” a Concentra representative told the Business Journal. Assessments are underway to determine which U.S. HealthWorks employees will remain with the new company, she added. U.S. HealthWorks, which was owned by Dignity Health in San Francisco, was acquired by Select Medical on Feb. 1. Under the terms of the transaction, Dignity Health owns a 20 percent stake in the entity formed by the merger of U.S. HealthWorks with Concentra. The resulting company will continue to manage occupational health and urgent care clinics nationwide. U.S. HealthWorks had purchased many clinics and clinic chains in the last several years, the largest of which was a 14-site network of medical centers in Florida in September 2016. The firm had more than 250 sites and 4,000 employees across the country when Select Medical announced its acquisition in October. MannKind’s CMO MannKind Corp. in Westlake Village has appointed former Eli Lilly & Co. executive Dr. David M. Kendall as the company’s chief medical officer. The move puts a top diabetes scientist at the helm of MannKind’s research and development efforts for its only drug, an inhalable insulin called Afrezza. Kendall is credited for re-establishing Eli Lilly’s diabetes division as a leader in medical research, experience that could be leveraged for the benefit of MannKind’s image within the biotech industry as the company builds out its strategy for commercializing Afrezza. “(Kendall’s) extensive experience in diabetes research, development and clinical care in both U.S. and international markets will be instrumental to helping us achieve the growth potential that we believe Afrezza clearly possesses,” MannKind Chief Executive Michael Castagna said in a statement on Feb. 6. Kendall began his tenure at Eli Lilly in 2011, when he joined the pharmaceutical giant’s as a distinguished medical fellow. He was promoted to vice president of the sector in 2014; his research focus at the company included injected and mealtime insulins along with devices, including continuous glucose monitors. Prior to joining Eli Lilly, Kendall was chief scientist and medical officer at the American Diabetes Association, an Arlington, Va.-based organization that funds diabetes research. He also has held director-level roles at the International Diabetes Center of Park Nicollet Health Services, a clinic network based in Minneapolis, and at Bristol-Myers Squibb subsidiary Amylin Pharmaceuticals. Kendall assumed his new role at MannKind on Feb. 12. Antelope Valley Honors The Antelope Valley Healthcare District in Lancaster – a public entity comprised community-based health care services – has named Dr. Phil Tuso to its board of directors. Tuso is a nephrologist based at the Antelope Valley medical offices of Kaiser Permanente. His appointment fills the vacancy left by the departure of Dr. Mukund Shah on the five-member board. Tuso will complete the remainder of Shah’s term, which ends in November. Earlier this year, the health care district named a new chair, Kristina Hong who has served on the board since her election in 2016. Hong is a nurse practitioner who began working at the Antelope Valley Hospital in 2006. “The board is excited to have Dr. Tuso join our team,” Hong said in a statement. “He is well-respected and has earned a great reputation within the health care industry and throughout the community, which will be an asset to the district.” Staff reporter Helen Floersh can be reached at [email protected] or 818-316-3121.

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