PACS Group Fortifies Leadership for Next Growth Phase

FARMINGTON, UT – December 08, 2025 – In a move signaling a strategic pivot towards operational resilience, PACS Group, Inc. (NYSE: PACS), one of the nation's fastest-growing post-acute care providers, has bolstered its executive team with two key appointments. The company announced the hiring of Kelly Priegnitz as Chief Compliance Officer and Trent Bingham as Chief Human Resources Officer, moves that underscore a deliberate effort to build a robust internal framework capable of supporting its aggressive expansion.

These appointments come at a critical juncture for the Utah-based holding company. After a period of explosive growth that saw its portfolio swell to 321 facilities across 17 states, PACS is now grappling with the immense operational complexities that accompany such scale. The addition of seasoned leaders in the highly sensitive domains of compliance and human capital suggests a maturing strategy, shifting from pure acquisition to sustainable, long-term governance.

"The additions of Kelly and Trent to our Executive Leadership Team reflect our ongoing commitment to attracting and retaining top leaders across the organization," stated Jason Murray, Chief Executive Officer at PACS. "Each brings many years of deep healthcare industry experience in prominent companies and we look forward to Kelly and Trent helping PACS fulfill its mission to ‘elevate healthcare in the post-acute care space’ for many years to come."

Strengthening the Foundation Amidst Expansion

While PACS Group has enjoyed remarkable top-line growth, with projected 2025 revenues exceeding $5.2 billion, its rapid ascent has not been without challenges. The company recently disclosed a restatement of its financial results for two quarters in 2024 and identified "material weaknesses" in its internal controls over financial reporting. This context makes the appointment of a new C-suite compliance head particularly significant.

The hiring of Kelly Priegnitz, a veteran with compliance leadership experience at major healthcare entities including Kindred Healthcare and Trilogy Health Services, is a direct response to the heightened need for rigorous oversight. Her background in the post-acute sector equips her to navigate the intricate regulatory environment that PACS operates within. The company's expansion, which included acquiring 106 facilities in 2024 alone, dramatically increased its exposure to diverse state-level regulations and federal mandates, making a unified and robust compliance program essential for risk mitigation.

"Working in the post-acute care field has consistently been a source of passion for me," said Ms. Priegnitz. "Joining PACS as the Chief Compliance Officer has rekindled that enthusiasm and I’m eager to contribute within an organization that shares my dedication to high-quality post-acute care." Her focus will likely be on standardizing compliance protocols across the sprawling network of independent facilities and addressing the control weaknesses identified earlier, ensuring the company’s operational practices align with its financial reporting and legal obligations.

Navigating the Post-Acute Regulatory Maze

The role Ms. Priegnitz steps into is arguably one of the most challenging in modern healthcare. The post-acute care sector is currently facing a tidal wave of regulatory pressure. Federal agencies, including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), are intensifying scrutiny over everything from ownership structures to staffing levels.

A key challenge is the new CMS Minimum Staffing Standards for Long-Term Care (LTC) Facilities. This rule imposes specific staffing ratios, a difficult mandate to meet amid a nationwide shortage of clinical staff. Compliance is being closely monitored through Payroll Based Journal (PBJ) data, leaving no room for error in reporting. Furthermore, CMS has tightened regulations on the use of psychotropic medications and strengthened rules around patient admission and discharge rights, all of which carry the risk of significant Civil Monetary Penalties for non-compliance. For a company of PACS Group’s size, which serves over 31,000 patients daily, navigating these rules is a monumental task.

Ms. Priegnitz's predecessor, Interim CCO Kathy Lauer, will remain through the first quarter of 2026 to ensure a smooth transition. This overlap highlights the complexity of the task at hand and the company's commitment to reinforcing its compliance framework without disruption. This move is consistent with industry best practices, as seen in competitors like The Ensign Group, which also maintains a C-suite level Chief Compliance Officer to manage regulatory risk.

The People Imperative in a Labor-Intensive Industry

Equally critical to PACS Group's future is its ability to manage its human capital. The healthcare industry is battling unprecedented workforce challenges, including severe staffing shortages, high burnout rates, and intense competition for talent. The post-acute sector is at the epicenter of this crisis, with projections indicating a need for one million new home health and personal care aides by 2031.

This is where Trent Bingham, the new Chief Human Resources Officer, enters the picture. His background is notably diverse, with leadership experience at healthcare firms like Edwards Lifesciences and Renalytix, but also at technology giant eBay and pharmaceutical leader Eli Lilly & Co. This cross-industry experience, combined with his qualification as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), suggests he will bring a data-driven and financially astute approach to a traditionally people-focused discipline.

"Purpose has always mattered deeply to me, and that’s what drew me to PACS," said Mr. Bingham. "I’m inspired by the opportunity to help people connect their talents to that larger purpose, knowing it ultimately benefits both our teams and the patients we serve."

His challenge will be to maintain and enhance the positive workplace culture that earned PACS recognition as one of Utah’s "Best Companies to Work For" while simultaneously scaling recruitment and retention strategies across a national footprint. Addressing employee burnout, which affected nearly half of all healthcare workers in recent years, and implementing modern HR solutions, such as flexible scheduling and technology to reduce administrative burdens, will be paramount. By fortifying its HR leadership, PACS is investing in its most critical asset: the caregivers who are central to its mission of elevating patient care. This strategic focus on its workforce is essential not only for quality of care but also for maintaining its competitive edge in a tight labor market.

The dual appointments of Priegnitz and Bingham represent a clear and calculated strategy by PACS Group. As the company transitions from a phase of rapid acquisition to one of operational consolidation and organic growth, it is building the internal architecture needed to ensure its long-term stability and success in the complex and demanding post-acute healthcare market.