VAYA HEALTH - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Dowell County Manager
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- CFAC Representative
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Henderson County Commissioner
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Large Representative
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Mitchell County Commissioner
During his tenure, Vaya has expanded its reach from western North Carolina to serve 31 counties across the state. Brian led the organization through two successful consolidations with neighboring managed care organizations, the most recent happening in 2021 with Cardinal Innovations Healthcare. His expertise has been instrumental in developing collaborative partnerships with other organizations throughout the state to pursue common goals for the benefit of Vaya Health members and all North Carolinians.
Brian has served on the Statewide LME/MCO Provider Steering Committee on Standardization and the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services Waiver Advisory Council. In 2015, Gov. Pat McCrory appointed Brian to the N.C. Mental Health and Substance Use Task Force, where he co-chaired the Subcommittee on Prescription Opioid Abuse, Heroin Resurgence, and Special Topics.
Prior to coming to North Carolina, Brian worked for nearly two decades in public service positions in New York, including as Commissioner of Mental Health in Delaware County, Deputy Commissioner of Mental Health in Broome County and Executive Director of Fairview Recovery Services, a nonprofit mental health/substance use recovery-based organization. In 1996, Gov. George Pataki appointed Brian to chair the New York State Advisory Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services.
Brian holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York at Binghamton and a master's degree in social work from Maywood College.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- President, Vaya Health Provider Advisory Council
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Graham County Commissioner
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Vance County Commissioner ( Vice Chair )
Job Titles:
- CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER
- EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
As Chief Medical Officer at Vaya Health, Richard Zenn, M.D., serves as the organization's senior clinical leader, providing psychiatric and medical oversight for all care management, utilization management, member and recipient services, pharmacy services and quality management functions.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Health Care Administration
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Public Relations
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Haywood County Health and Human Services Director
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Alamance County Commissioner
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Rowan County Commissioner
Job Titles:
- CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
- EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
As Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer at Vaya Health, Larry Hill oversees the organization's financial functions, including financial reporting and budgeting.
An Asheville native, Hill previously served 27 years with Mission Health, most recently as Vice President of Finance. Prior to joining Mission, he worked in finance at Pardee Hospital in Hendersonville.
Hill holds a bachelor's degree in Accounting from the University of North Carolina at Asheville and a master's degree in Health Sciences from Western Carolina University. He has also authored articles on topics including cost containment and rolling forecasts.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- CFAC Representative
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Insurance
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- CFAC Representative
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- DHHS Secretary Appointment
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- CFAC Representative
Job Titles:
- Advisory Director
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER
- EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
As Executive Vice President & Chief Operations Officer at Vaya Health, Rhonda Cox oversees a range of programs that address mental and physical health alongside other factors that impact individual wellbeing, in collaboration with local and statewide partners. Cox, who previously served as Vaya's Senior Director of Care Coordination, supervises current care coordination operations and Vaya's Population Health Management Department, which aims to improve health results among entire groups of people.
Cox has more than 20 years of experience in managing behavioral health and/or IDD services. She was instrumental in developing the region's behavioral health treatment continuums for youths involved with the social services or juvenile justice agencies. She has also overseen programs involving geriatric specialty services, housing and employment.
Cox holds an undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a master's degree in Clinical Psychology from Appalachian State University.
Job Titles:
- CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER
- EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
As Executive Vice President & Chief Information Officer at Vaya Health, Robert Webb is responsible for all facets of technology as well as information security, project management and facilities. He oversees strategic planning, application development and maintenance, system network and infrastructure management and technical support operations for Vaya's catchment area.
Webb is a veteran of the U.S. Army. Prior to Vaya, he worked in in a privately-held company and earned degrees in Computer Engineering Technology and Electronics Engineering Technology.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Large Representative ( Chair )
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Granville County Commissioner
Steve Martin - Chief Compliance Officer, Chief Legal Officer
Job Titles:
- CHIEF COMPLIANCE OFFICER
- GENERAL COUNSEL
Mr. Martin brings extensive experience to the role of General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer. Prior to joining Vaya Health, Martin worked as in-house counsel at Cardinal Innovations, serving as Deputy General Counsel from 2016 to 2022. Previously, he was a partner in the Raleigh office of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP, where he represented several LME/MCOs as well as individual and business clients in health care and complex business litigation.
Ms. Hayes brings significant experience to her role as Chief Executive Officer for Vaya Health. Prior to working for Vaya, she served as Special Deputy Attorney General at the N.C. Department of Justice, where she exclusively represented the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on a wide variety of civil and administrative matters involving the Medicaid program, including two federal class action due process lawsuits and a lengthy negotiation with the U.S. Department of Justice regarding allegations of ADA non-compliance in the state's behavioral health system.
Ms. Hayes obtained her undergraduate degree from New College of Florida and her juris doctorate from Tulane Law School. After practicing maritime law in New Orleans for more than five years, she and her family moved to North Carolina in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. She is a member in good standing of the North Carolina (active) and Louisiana (inactive) bars, and is certified in Health Care Compliance by the national Health Care Compliance Association. For nearly ten years, she has served as a pro bono faculty member on trial advocacy, evidence, motion practice, deposition and negotiation skills for the National Attorneys General Training & Research Institute, the educational wing of the National Association for Attorneys General.