Chris Bryant Named Acorn Health’s Senior Vice President of Client Acquisition and Marketing

Organization also Announces Senior Leadership Promotions

Acorn Health, a leading national provider of applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), has welcomed Chris Bryant as senior vice president of client acquisition and marketing.

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Chris Bryant, Senior Vice President, Client Acquisition & Marketing

In this role, Bryant leads national growth and outreach efforts, combining his operational expertise with a personal passion for supporting families. He also oversees marketing operations and Acorn Health’s admissions team.

“Chris is a recognized leader in driving record-setting growth and his strong background as a leader in healthcare will enable him to make important contributions to Acorn Health,” said Krista Orellana (Boe), M.A., BCBA, executive vice president of growth and chief clinical officer of Acorn Health. “He brings a deep personal connection to his work and a strong commitment to expanding access to high-quality care, and we are thrilled to have him with us.”

Bryant is a healthcare growth leader with more than 20 years of experience in sales operations, business development and marketing across the post-acute care space, with a focus on pediatric services. He has led growth initiatives, process improvements, business development and value-based care initiatives in previous leadership roles at Amedisys, Gentiva, and Aveanna Healthcare. He holds a bachelor’s degree in public and therapeutic recreation from Georgia Southern University.

“I knew after a few conversations with Acorn Health’s leadership team that this was a group of people who truly live their mission every day,” said Bryant. “As a proud parent of a child on the autism spectrum, the opportunity to lead our growth efforts and support other families on their journey was a dream come true. It is the greatest responsibility of my career, and I am eager to support Acorn Health as we connect more communities with the best clinical care in the ABA space.”

Along with Bryant’s appointment, Acorn Health announces the following senior leadership promotions to drive innovation in autism care nationwide:

Krista Orellana (Boe), M.A., BCBA, has been named executive vice president of growth and chief clinical officer. In this role, she leads initiatives to drive overall census growth, strengthen payer relationships and support inclusive access to services across Acorn Health. Orellana joined the organization in 2015 and previously served as chief clinical and compliance officer and clinical director of Northern Michigan operations. She has served on the Michigan Autism Council since 2018 and has been recognized twice as one of the Top 50 Women Leaders of Michigan by Women We Admire. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and biology from Central Michigan University and a master’s degree in applied behavior analysis from Western Michigan University.

Scott Semmel has been named senior vice president of payer relations. In this role, he focuses on aligning payer engagement with clinical access and organizational goals. Semmel joined Acorn Health in early 2025 as vice president of payer relations. He serves on the board of directors for the Pediatric Cancer Foundation of the Lehigh Valley and as public policy committee chair for the Pennsylvania Homecare Association. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from DeSales University.

About Acorn Health:

Acorn Health is accredited by the Autism Commission on Quality and offers both center-based and in-home services nationwide in more than 70 centers located throughout Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Virginia. Founded in 2018, Acorn is committed to providing industry-leading quality clinical care through applied behavioral analysis (ABA) therapy to give children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) the opportunity to live more independent and meaningful lives.

Cases of ASD are on the rise; according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in 31 children is living with ASD. ABA therapy, a program endorsed by the U.S. Surgeon General, provides individualized plans for each patient based on agreed upon clear, measurable goals with the child’s family. Acorn Health uses its proprietary Behavioral Health Index to measure success in ways that are easily understood by families, clinicians and educators.

To learn more about Acorn Health, visit AcornHealth.com/ and to learn about career opportunities, visit AcornHealth.com/careers.

To inquire about ABA therapy at Acorn Health, please call 844.244.1818.

Follow us at Facebook.com/AcornHealthABA, Instagram.com/acornhealthaba, and LinkedIn.com/company/acornhealth.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250731686502/en/

“Chris is a recognized leader in driving record-setting growth and his strong background as a leader in healthcare will enable him to make important contributions to Acorn Health.”