Beverly hires new VP to help improve company's health

FORT SMITH, AK: Beverly Enterprises, a provider of healthcare for the elderly, has named Blair Jackson VP of corporate communications. He will report to James Griffith, SVP of IR and corporate communications.

With a relatively new management team and CEO in place, Jackson will support efforts to "turn the company around," he said. Citing challenging times for the industry, Jackson said he will be handling communications for the three-year initiatives Beverly has in place for bolstering operations.

Jackson and Griffith, plus one administrator and a field person in Southern California, make up Beverly's in-house communications team. The company also works with Weber Shandwick Worldwide's Chicago and LA offices, Hill & Knowlton's Tampa, FL office, and New Jersey-based Hudson Strategies.

Prior to joining Beverly, Jackson served as assistant VP of PR for AdvancePCS, a health-improvement service provider.