Our Leadership

Jason Strauss

Chief Executive Officer

Jason believes the best organizations are built by people who feel trusted, included, and challenged to grow. As CEO of Ivy Health, he leads a national network of orthopedic and pediatric therapy providers while keeping the focus where it belongs: on the teams and communities behind the numbers.

Prior to joining Ivy Health, Jason spent nearly 17 years at SCA Health, holding 10 different roles across operations and executive leadership. He served as Chief Operating Officer and Group President before becoming CEO, where he expanded the company’s ambulatory surgical and specialty care capabilities. In 2024, Jason also took on the role of Chief Operating Officer for Optum Health, in addition to leading the Mid-Atlantic region. He is particularly proud of helping the Optum Health team improve teammate engagement scores from the bottom to the top quartile in just six months. He also supported 50% of his direct reports in earning promotions within a year.

Jason and his wife, Amelia, are passionate about giving back and reducing stigma around addiction. Together, they co-founded Unbound Grace Ministries, an addiction recovery ministry based in Birmingham, Alabama. Outside of work, Jason enjoys spending time with his three daughters—often on the soccer field, at a dance competition, or outdoors.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Alabama and a Master of Science in Finance from Boston College. Jason is based in Birmingham, Alabama, where he and Amelia both grew up.

Dr. Dan Murrey

Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Murrey believes clinical excellence starts with giving good people the tools, support, and clear standards to do their best work.

As Chief Medical Officer of Ivy Health, he leads clinical quality, patient safety, outcomes measurement, and clinical performance across the organization. He is focused on building strong, consistent systems that help clinicians deliver exceptional care while keeping patients and people at the center of the work.

A nationally recognized leader in patient safety and clinical quality, Dr. Murrey previously served in several executive roles with Optum and SCA Health, including Chief Medical Officer of Optum Health and Chief Medical Officer of SCA Health. Earlier in his career, he was a co-founder and CEO of OrthoCarolina and practiced as an orthopedic spine surgeon.

Dr. Murrey has led major work in quality measurement, clinical governance, patient experience, and highly reliable care. He is also a researcher, educator, patentholder, and longtime community leader.

He earned his bachelor’s degree from Davidson College, a Master of Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School, and his medical degree from Harvard Medical School. He completed his orthopedic residency at Vanderbilt University and a spine fellowship at Carolinas Medical Center.

Jonathan Jean-Pierre

Chief Operating Officer

Jonathan likes turning big ideas into work that actually works. He joined Ivy Health in November 2021 as Vice President of Strategy, where he led innovation and enterprise-level strategic initiatives before taking on his current position as Chief Operating Officer. 

Jonathan has a diverse background, including experience in investment banking, sales, and distributed healthcare operations and growth. He holds a BS from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business and an MBA from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.

Jonathan; his wife, Wendy; and their daughter, Eliana, reside in the suburbs of Philadelphia. In his spare time, he enjoys grilling, cycling, and rooting for the San Antonio Spurs.

Dave Zabell

General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer

Dave brings both a physician’s and an attorney’s perspective to the table as Ivy Health’s General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer. Combining both his legal and medical training, he brings over 15 years of experience advising healthcare providers with a focus on strategic growth planning, risk management, healthcare compliance, and commercial transactions. 

Dave earned a JD cum laude from Brooklyn Law School, an MD from New York Medical College, and a B.S. from the University of Michigan. He resides in New York City and enjoys spending time outdoors with his family and cheering on the Michigan Wolverines.

Megan Ambers

Chief People Officer

Megan believes people do their best work when they feel heard, supported, and able to belong as themselves. She brings over 20 years of executive human resources leadership experience to her role as Ivy Health’s Chief People Officer. 

Megan is an expert in people strategies that support strong business outcomes, including talent acquisition, total rewards, organizational and leadership development, employee engagement, and talent management. By aligning people strategies with a culture-first focus, she has helped organizations grow and scale in ways that support both business priorities and their teams. 

She most recently served as the interim Chief Human Resource Officer for Amedisys, the largest independent Home Health and Hospice organization in the US, with more than 20,000 teammates, providing a full continuum of care across Personal Care, Home Health, Palliative, Hospice, and High Acuity Care in the home. Prior to that, Megan was the SVP of Workforce Strategy, Total Rewards, and HR Innovation at Amedisys and previously held and was promoted into a variety of HR leadership roles at PNC, the nation’s sixth largest bank.

Megan has a passion for providing healthcare services to those in need and for empowering organizations to create a culture of caregiving. She is particularly proud of her work to establish the importance of listening and feedback within the organizations she’s been part of, and strongly believes that uniqueness + belonging = inclusion.

Megan earned a B.A. from the University of Akron in Sociology and Business Administration. She resides in Ohio, and when she’s not working, she enjoys boating on Lake Erie and spending time with family and friends.

Robby Abraham

Chief Information Officer

Robby sees technology as a way to make work simpler and care stronger, not as the point of the work. He brings over 20 years of experience in healthcare technology to his role as Ivy Health’s Chief Information Officer and leads teams with a values-based approach to technology and operations. He is a thought partner who ensures technology enables the business strategy. 

Within the healthcare industry, his focus has been on helping large organizations migrate from on-prem to the cloud, with expertise in software engineering, analytics, digital transformation, and client implementations. He has led successful large cross-functional transformation initiatives and turnarounds that resulted in improved experiences and outcomes for team members, providers, and patients. He most recently served as the CIO within a division of Fortune 25 Elevance Health that provided healthcare services to over 70 million lives. Prior to that, Robby served in various Senior IT healthcare leadership roles with McKesson, DaVita, and Alere.

Robby earned a B.A. in Biology from the University of Chicago. Robby and his family reside in Texas, and outside of work, he enjoys big family gatherings, outdoor activities, and being a fan of Chicago sports teams.

Jeremy Kunicki

Chief Financial Officer

Jeremy brings a practical, operational view of finance: understand the numbers, ask the right questions, and help teams make better decisions. Serving as Chief Financial Officer for Ivy Health, he joined the organization in March 2024 and is responsible for finance, revenue cycle management, accounting, and payor contracting. Jeremy has over 20 years of healthcare financial leadership experience with a focus on operations, analytics, M&A, and strategy. He holds a BBA and a Master of Accountancy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Jeremy; his wife, Jill; and their four children reside in southeastern Wisconsin. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling, yoga, and spending time with family and friends.

Jeff McCandless

Division President, Ivy Rehab Physical Therapy

Kristy Kalayonides

President, Ivy Pediatric Therapy

Kristy believes every child deserves support that recognizes who they are, builds on their strengths, and helps them participate more fully in the things that matter to them. As President of Ivy Pediatric Therapy, she leads a growing network of clinicians and teammates committed to expanding access to high-quality pediatric therapy and helping children and families thrive.

A pharmacist by training, Kristy brings extensive healthcare leadership experience spanning multi-site operations, strategic growth, and talent development. Before joining Ivy Pediatric Therapy, she held executive leadership roles at MyEyeDr., CVS Health, and Target. She is known for building high-performing teams and creating cultures where clinicians and teammates feel valued, supported, and empowered to make a meaningful difference.

Kristy’s connection to the work is also personal. As a mother of two boys who have benefited from pediatric therapy, she has seen firsthand the difference the right support can make for a child and their family. That experience shapes her commitment to growing Ivy Pediatric Therapy in a way that increases access, delivers outcomes that matter to each child and family, and keeps their needs and priorities at the heart of every decision.

Kristy earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Northeastern University.