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VNA Care Names Salvatore Perla, DrPH, as President and Chief Executive Officer

Leominster Resident brings more than 25 years of healthcare leadership experience to nonprofit home health, hospice, and palliative care agency 

Worcester, MA – March 30, 2026 – VNA Care, one of the Commonwealth’s largest independent nonprofit home health, hospice, palliative care, and private care providers, today announced the appointment of Salvatore (Sal) Perla, DrPH, as President and Chief Executive Officer. Perla will begin this role on April 6.

“Sal’s dedication to patients, his eagerness to support clinicians and staff, and understanding of the communities that VNA Care has served for 140 years are exactly what drew us to him,” said Smeeta Teckchandani, Chair of VNA Care’s Board of Directors. “Beyond his operational and strategic expertise, Sal is a dynamic, people-first leader who throughout his career has prioritized helping patients stay healthy at home through community-based care. Sal has a profound appreciation for VNA Care’s mission, and our Board looks forward to working with him as we support the health, well-being, and dignity of our patients and their families.” 

Perla is a longtime resident of Leominster, Mass., who brings more than 25 years of experience leading multi-site healthcare organizations through growth, service line expansion, and integration of post-acute and home health services across the care continuum. For more than a decade, he served as the local President and CEO of Nashoba Valley Medical Center and then Norwood Hospital, where he led primary care expansions, community health partnerships, and service line improvements – including initiatives to strengthen transitions from hospital to home, reduce length of stay, and avoid readmissions. Prior to those roles, he spent 13 years at Milford Regional Medical Center where he served as Vice President of Operations.

"I began my career in laboratory medicine and public health, where keeping patients healthy and out of the hospital is a guiding principle. The compassionate nurses, clinicians, and staff at VNA Care exemplify that mission and why home health, hospice, and palliative care is so foundational to communities across Massachusetts,” said Perla. “It is a privilege to join such a renowned organization focused on improving the lives of others and honoring patients’ wishes in the settings where they are most comfortable. I’m excited to work with my new colleagues and build on VNA Care’s legacy as the home health and hospice provider of choice in Massachusetts.” 

Most recently, Perla served as Interim Chief Executive Officer at Lower Keys Medical Center in Key West, Florida, and as a Director at Synergetics Worldwide Healthcare, a global management consulting firm specializing in acute care, ambulatory, physician enterprise, and post-acute services. An epidemiologist by training, he holds a Doctor of Public Health from Capella University, a Master of Arts in Healthcare Administration from Framingham State University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Health Science from Northeastern University.

 

About VNA Care

As one of the Commonwealth’s largest home health, hospice, and palliative care providers, VNA Care serves more than 25,000 patients each year. VNA Care was founded by Massachusetts’ most established and trusted home care organizations, VNA Care Network, VNA of Boston, and VNA Hospice & Palliative Care. With the addition of At Home Private Care, VNA Care has the capabilities and resources to deliver a full range of home- and community-based services to patients of all ages and health care needs. VNA Care focuses on promoting the health, well-being, and dignity of patients and families by providing high-quality, cost-effective health care to vulnerable individuals in their homes and communities.