Golden Living announced today that Neil Kurtz, M.D., has been named President and Chief Executive Officer of the company, effective Aug. 29. Golden Living is one of the leading providers of long-term care in the country.
Most recently, Dr. Kurtz was President and Chief Executive Officer of TorreyPines Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company committed to providing patients with better alternatives to existing therapies through the research and development of new compounds to treat unmet clinical needs.
“I have had the good fortune to work with Dr. Kurtz over the past several months, and I can say without hesitation that he will enhance the leadership talent of our company, complement the efforts of our senior management team and bring a fresh perspective to the way we operate our business units,” said Ronald E. Silva, President and CEO of Fillmore Capital Partners and owner of Golden Living. “We are extremely fortunate to have him join our organization in this vital leadership role and set the new standard in operating quality for our industry.”
Prior to joining TorreyPines in 2002, Dr. Kurtz co-founded Worldwide Clinical Trials, a contract research organization, where he held the positions of President and Chief Executive Officer until its acquisition by United Health Group, or UHG, in September 1999. After the acquisition, Dr. Kurtz became President of Ingenix Pharmaceutical Services, a division of UHG, and also served as a member of the UHG Executive Board until joining TorreyPines.
Dr. Kurtz’s career includes senior positions with Boots Pharmaceuticals, Bayer Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Merck. He has a deep and recognized expertise in the area of central nervous system drug discovery and development.
Dr. Kurtz currently serves on the boards of three companies: NeurogesX, a specialty pharmaceutical company; Stemedica, a company focused on stem cell research; and Medidata Solutions, a global provider of data management services. In addition, he has consulted to more than a dozen pharmaceutical companies and was a member of the faculty in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Connecticut from 1984 to 1988 and at the University of California, Los Angeles, from July 1980 to 1981.
Dr. Kurtz holds a B.A. in psychology from New York University and an M.D. from the Medical College of Wisconsin.
“Dr. Kurtz’s career has been focused on finding new and better ways to help people through medicine. His passion for innovation and commitment to better healthcare is a perfect fit with our company’s focus on quality and service,” said Silva. “With Dr. Kurtz at the helm of Golden Living, I know that we will continue to set new standards in excellence and lead the way in long-term care.”
Dr. Kurtz will be based at Golden Living’s Fort Smith, Ark. headquarters office.
About Golden Living (www.goldenliving.com)
The Golden Living family of companies provides care and services that directly or indirectly serve the elderly and disabled, including companies that operate nursing homes and provide rehabilitation therapy, hospice care, home health services and temporary staffing services. There are 329 Golden LivingCenters (skilled nursing facilities) and 17 Golden Living Communities (assisted living facilities) in 22 states. In addition, the Golden Innovations companies are leading providers of integrated senior health care services, partnering with more than 1,000 nursing homes, hospitals and other health care organizations in 46 states. Golden Innovations companies include Aegis Therapies, AseraCare Hospice and Home Health, Aedon Staffing, Ceres Purchasing Solutions, and Vizia Health Care Design Group. Collectively, the Golden Living family of companies has nearly 40,000 employees who provide quality health care to more than 30,000 patients and residents every day.
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