Addus HomeCare Corporation has appointed Heather Dixon, Acadia Healthcare’s former chief financial officer, as its new president and chief operating officer, the company announced on Thursday. Dixon is expected to assume the role in mid-September after serving as an independent director and audit committee member for Addus since 2023.
The leadership change positions Dixon to oversee operations across the Frisco, Texas-based provider’s growing network of personal care, hospice and home health services. Addus operates 260 locations in 23 states and serves roughly 62,000 patients. The appointment follows recent expansion activity by Addus, which closed on the acquisition of Helping Hands Home Care Service in Pennsylvania for $21.2 million just days earlier.
Dixon arrives with extensive financial and operational experience in the health care sector. Prior to joining Addus’ board, she served as chief financial officer at Acadia Healthcare and held senior finance and accounting roles at Everside Health, Walgreens Boots Alliance and Aetna. At Everside she oversaw a network of hundreds of health centers and assumed interim operational responsibilities, experience that observers say will be directly applicable to leading Addus’ field operations and growth initiatives.
Addus’ current president and chief operating officer, Bradley Bickham, will transition to a role as advisor to the chief executive officer and is expected to remain in that position until his planned retirement in March 2026. Company leadership framed the move as part of a broader succession plan designed to ensure continuity as Addus scales its services and geographic footprint.
Dixon’s tenure at Acadia Healthcare placed her at the center of a major behavioral health provider’s financial strategy. Acadia, a leading standalone behavioral health company, operates a network of facilities across the United States and has pursued an aggressive growth program, expanding beds and services through de novo development, joint ventures and acquisitions. Dixon joined Acadia in mid-2023 as part of an executive team focused on executing long-term growth objectives and diversifying revenue streams.
Industry analysts note that Dixon’s combined background in payer, provider and pharmacy finance, along with hands-on operational leadership, fits the profile Addus requires as it navigates demographic shifts and rising demand for home-based care. Her experience leading finance functions at national firms and guiding operational teams at regional providers is expected to strengthen Addus’ ability to integrate acquisitions and enhance service delivery across its markets.
Addus’ strategic priorities include expanding home health and personal care offerings while maintaining quality standards across decentralized operations. With a new senior executive who has navigated both corporate finance and frontline operations, the company is positioned to pursue further market consolidation and service diversification.
The appointment marks a notable executive move within the healthcare sector, underscoring ongoing consolidation and talent mobility between behavioral health, primary care and home health providers. As Dixon prepares to step into the Addus executive suite, stakeholders will be watching how her financial acumen and operational experience translate into execution on growth plans and patient care outcomes.