Accendra Health names new CEO

RICHMOND, Va. – Accendra Health has named Kenneth Gardner-Smith as its next president and CEO, succeeding Edward Pesicka, who announced his plans to retire in August.

Gardner-Smith, who has served on the company’s board of directors since March 2022, is expected to assume the role early in the fourth quarter of 2026. He currently serves as CEO of Veritas Veterinary Partners, a national specialty and emergency veterinary platform, where he spearheaded a strategy reset and executive rebuild that delivered double-digit average quarterly revenue growth and significant margin expansion since 2024.

“We are thrilled to welcome Kenny as Accendra Health’s next president and CEO,” said Mark Beck, chair of Accendra Health's board of directors. “Kenny brings more than 15 years of operating leadership in reimbursement-driven health care and deep knowledge of our strategy and operations, making him the board’s unanimous choice to lead Accendra Health. I look forward to partnering closely with him and the leadership team to build on the steps the company has taken in the past year and deliver on the significant opportunities ahead.”

Gardner-Smith has been part of the board’s long-term executive succession planning for several years, having been identified as a potential successor soon after joining the board. Accendra Health says he was selected following a comprehensive search process that considered both internal and external candidates.

Prior to Veritas Veterinary Partners, Gardner-Smith served in a variety of operating roles over 13 years at DaVita, managing $1.5 billion in operations and supporting teams across more than 3,000 facilities in 13 countries.

“I’m proud to lead Accendra Health as we enter this next chapter,” Gardner-Smith said. “Having served on the board since 2022, I’ve had a front-row seat to Accendra Health’s transformation into a pure-play home-based care company. My priority now is to build on our progress and invest in the business to drive long-term growth and stability, all while keeping patients, providers, and partners at the center of everything we do. I’m confident we have the right strategy to get there, and I'm looking forward to building on Ed's legacy alongside the team.”

Pesicka will remain in his role of president and CEO until Gardner-Smith assumes the role, at which point he will also retire from the board. He will continue to serve as an advisor to Gardner-Smith and the leadership team to ensure a smooth transition.

• Related: Accendra Health’s second quarter results “did not meet expectations,” thanks to lower revenue growth and other challenges, but executives pointed to several growth opportunities in upcoming quarters and overall improvement in its sleep business as evidence of the company’s strength.