Dr. Lissy Hu Named CEO of Ascend Learning to drive healthcare workforce development and education growth
Ascend Learning has appointed Dr. Lissy Hu as its new Chief Executive Officer, following the retirement of Greg Sebasky, who will transition to Chairman of the Ascend Board of Managers in January 2025.
Dr. Hu joins Ascend from WellSky, where she held the role of President, Connected Networks. Prior to that, she founded and served as CEO of CarePort Health, a care coordination technology firm focused on connecting hospitals with post-acute care providers. Her background includes managing networks across 2,500 hospitals and healthcare providers to improve post-acute care outcomes.
Dr. Hu said she is focused on supporting Ascend’s work in healthcare training and development:
“Fundamental to improving patient care is investing in our healthcare teams, and I am excited to further drive Ascend’s success in enabling clients to achieve elevated learner and educator outcomes and to support workers as they progress through their careers.
“Ascend’s innovative learning solutions are needed now more than ever before, and I am honoured to join a best-in-class organisation and team that have such a significant, positive impact on the entire lifecycle of learning. I look forward to leading Ascend’s next chapter of scalable growth.”
Ascend Learning provides educational technology, software, and content for healthcare and other certification-focused sectors. In healthcare, Ascend Learning’s offerings support more than 60% of U.S. nursing programs.
Outgoing CEO Greg Sebasky expressed confidence in Dr. Hu’s ability to lead Ascend’s healthcare-focused mission forward.
“Over the last 10 years, we have grown the Ascend family of brands thoughtfully, building a market-leading provider of data-driven online learning tools,” Sebasky said. “As we sharpen our focus on developing and delivering tailored solutions across the healthcare ecosystem, Lissy’s wealth of market experience and track record of driving positive outcomes through leading-edge technology makes her the perfect fit to lead Ascend forward.
“With Lissy at the helm, I am confident that Ascend will continue to grow, innovate, and find new and better ways to help make communities across the U.S. healthier. I look forward to working with her and continuing to support the Ascend team and mission in my role as Chairman beginning in January.”
“Under Greg’s leadership, Ascend has solidified its position as a clear leader in the tech-enabled learning services market. I thank him for his strategic vision and invaluable contributions, and I look forward to working with him, our clients, our leaders, our employees, and the Board to continue accelerating learning and professional success across the country,” Dr. Hu added.
