Furst Group Recruits CEO for Delaware Hospice
January 16, 2026 – Executive recruitment firm Furst Group, which serves the healthcare and insurance industries, has recently assisted in the recruitment of Charles McDonough as the new president and CEO of Delaware Hospice. He succeeds Susan D. Lloyd, who has served with distinction for more than 38 years. Bob Clarke, Rebecca Kapphahn, and Caroline O’Shea led the assignment.
“On behalf of the board, I am honored to welcome Charles McDonough as the next CEO of Delaware Hospice,” said Dan McCarthy, board chair. “Charles is a proven healthcare leader with deep expertise in hospice, palliative care, and home health services. His career reflects a remarkable record of operational excellence, growth leadership, and the development of compassionate care platforms. We are confident he will build upon Susan’s extraordinary legacy and guide Delaware Hospice into its next chapter of service and innovation.”
Mr. McDonough brings more than 15 years of executive leadership in hospice, palliative, and home health care. He has led multi-site organizations, managed large teams, and overseen complex operations while maintaining a strong commitment to quality and patient-centered care. Known for a collaborative style and dedication to staff, patients, and families, he has earned recognition as a trusted leader who strengthens both clinical excellence and community partnerships.
Most recently, Mr. McDonough served as chief operating officer of Mission Healthcare. Prior to this, he served as CEO of Interim HealthCare of the Upstate. Before that, Mr. McDonough gained experience in various senior-level positions with Graham Healthcare Group, WellSpan Health, and Guardian Home Healthcare Holdings.
As Delaware Hospice continues to expand its reach across Delaware and Pennsylvania, Mr. McDonough will guide efforts to strengthen programs for patients of all ages, advance innovative models of care, and deepen community partnerships. Under his leadership, Delaware Hospice will continue ensuring that every individual and family facing serious illness receives expert, compassionate support—at home, in the Delaware Hospice Center, and through specialized offerings such as pediatric palliative care and grief support.
Since 1982 Delaware Hospice has had the privilege of providing compassionate, high-quality care to over 140,000 patients and their families navigating serious illness and loss. As Delaware Hospice looks toward the future, they are excited about the opportunity to welcome a new CEO who will be energized by the strong foundation Ms. Lloyd has built and the possibilities ahead for innovation, expansion, and partnerships.
Related: Furst Group Assists CommonSpirit Health with CFO Search
Furst Group, headquartered in Rockford, IL, partners with many of the premier healthcare organizations in the world, from providers and payers to life-science companies and private equity/venture capital firms. While Furst Group’s roots are in managed care, the firm continues to be one of the nation’s leading executive search partners to health systems, hospitals, academic medical centers, post-acute, and hospice and palliative care facilities. Its work with insurers stretches back to the HMO era, yet the firm also teams with life science, pharmaceutical, and medical device companies. Furst Group also has offices in Phoenix, AZ; Radnor, PA; San Francisco; Brentwood, TN; Chicago; Irving, TX; Minneapolis, MN; Seattle; St. Louis; and Washington, D.C.
Trusted Advisors
Mr. Clarke, chairman of Furst Group, has been a trusted advisor to CEOs and boards for more than 30 years. His acumen in executive search and integrated talent management is valued by hospital systems, managed care organizations, medical groups, indemnity companies, end-of-life care providers, healthcare associations, and other medical delivery systems across the U.S. Mr. Clarke concentrates his work at the board and C-suite levels for providers and payers of every variety, creating recruitment processes and counseling boards and search committees. He also partners with boards of directors of healthcare organizations to manage C-suite transitions, develop succession plans, assess leadership teams, and implement leadership development programs.
Ms. Kapphahn, vice president and senior client partner, is an accomplished recruiter and talent advisor with more than 20 years of experience in healthcare executive search. She partners with healthcare organizations to attract and retain world-class talent for executive roles in for-profit and non-profit organizations, including hospitals, health systems, medical groups, academic medical centers, children’s hospitals, and managed care. Ms. Kapphahn has served as a managing principal providing operational oversight and strategic direction for the executive search team at leading firms, including Cejka Search.
Ms. O’Shea is trusted by clients to bring strategic insights and C-suite talent to some of the top organizations in the country. She is experienced in recruiting all positions of the C-suite, from chief executive officers and chief operating officers to chief financial officers and chief nursing officers. Ms. O’Shea has more than 15 years’ experience in recruiting and integrated talent management. In addition to serving some of the largest organizations in healthcare, she has worked with a number of Fortune 100 companies, including McDonald’s, Navistar International, Sara Lee, Illinois Tool Works, and Boeing.
Related: Furst Group Recruits President and CEO for Memorial Health
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
