Board of Directors

Robert A. Ortenzio co-founded Select Medical and served as Select Medical's President and Chief Operating Officer from February 1997 to September 2001. Mr. Ortenzio served as Select Medical's President and Chief Executive Officer from September 2001 to January 1, 2005 and has served as a director of Select Medical since February 1997. On January 1, 2014, Mr. Ortenzio was appointed as Select Medical's Executive Chairman and Co-Founder. Mr. Ortenzio was an Executive Vice President and a director of Horizon/CMS Healthcare Corporation from July 1995 until July 1996. In 1986, Mr. Ortenzio co-founded Continental Medical Systems, Inc., and served in a number of different capacities, including as a Senior Vice President from February 1986 until April 1988, as Chief Operating Officer from April 1988 until July 1995, as President from May 1989 until August 1996 and as Chief Executive Officer from July 1995 until August 1996. Before co-founding Continental Medical Systems, Inc., Mr. Ortenzio was a Vice President of Rehab Hospital Services Corporation.

Keith Newton has served as our Chief Executive Officer since rejoining in 2015 and our President until 2023. Mr. Newton was also Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Company from 2018 to 2022 when we were part of a joint venture between Select Medical and Welsh Carson and other investors. Prior to 2015, Mr. Newton served in various management and operational roles at the Company and our predecessor, OccuSystems, from 1995 to 2011 and was promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer from 2007 to 2011. In 2011, Mr. Newton moved on to DentalOne Partners as President and Chief Operating Officer. Prior to joining OccuSystems in 1995, Mr. Newton worked for Columbia HCA’s Ambulatory Surgery Division and its predecessor Medical Care International from 1991 to 1995. Prior to 1991, he had served in various accounting and finance roles at The Associates First Capital Corporation and was a CPA with KPMG Peat Marwick. Mr. Newton earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting from Texas A&M University in 1985.

Cheryl Pegus, MD, MPH began her healthcare management career in 1996 as a cardiovascular-focused medical director at Pfizer Inc. Dr. Pegus served as a partner at Morgan Health until 2024 and was also the Executive Vice President of Health and Wellness at Walmart, Inc. Dr. Pegus joined Walmart in 2020 after several years in payor and consumer health-related roles at Cambia Health Solutions. She serves as the President of Caluent LLC since 2013. Between 2007 and 2012 Dr. Pegus was the Chief Medical Officer first at Symcare Personalized Health Solutions Inc., and later at Walgreens Company. Dr. Pegus has served on the board of several medical organizations, including the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute and the American Heart Association. Before taking on large-scale managerial positions, she was a cardiologist, clinical researcher, and fellow at New York-based medical institutions, including The Joan & Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Dr. Pegus currently serves as a board member for Boston Scientific Corporation.

Daniel J. Thomas has served as a director of Select Medical since July 2019. Mr. Thomas currently serves on the board of directors of Healthcare Highways, Inc., National Partners in Healthcare and Equalis Group LLC and previously served on the board of directors of Accentcare, Inc. In addition, from June 2018 through January 2019, Mr. Thomas served as President and CEO of National Partners in Healthcare. From 2011 until his retirement in 2017, Mr. Thomas served as President, Chief Executive Officer and a board member of Provista, Inc. Prior to Provista, Mr. Thomas served as Chief Executive Officer and a board member of Viant, Inc. Before the formation of Viant, from 1993 through 2007, Mr. Thomas spent 14 years with the Company and held the positions of President, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer.

Marc R. Watkins, MD has served as the Chief Medical Officer of Kroger Health since 2018. Dr. Watkins spent over five years in senior medical oversight roles at Concentra Inc. Between 2008 and 2009, he was an Interim Medical Director for the North American division of Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. Between 2003 and 2007, Dr. Watkins was a senior medical officer at a US Marine Corps Station. Between 2005 and 2006 he was group surgeon of Camp Al Asad in Iraq. Dr. Watkins has held over a dozen advisory roles, board seats, or other positions at U.S. healthcare companies and healthcare nonprofits, as well as U.S. educational institutions, including as an adjunct professor in the pharmacy department of the University of Cincinnati.