NASHVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (NYSE: BKD) ("Brookdale" or the "Company") today announced that Rita Johnson-Mills has been appointed as an independent member of the Company's board of directors, effective August 3, 2018.  Ms. Johnson-Mills was appointed as a Class III member of the Board, with an initial term set to expire at the 2018 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.  Ms. Johnson-Mills will also be nominated to stand for election at the 2018 Annual Meeting.  Ms. Johnson-Mills has not yet been appointed to serve on any committees of the Board.  Following her appointment, Brookdale's board is now comprised of eight directors, seven of whom are independent.

Ms. Johnson-Mills is an experienced healthcare executive, with more than 20 years of experience in the broader healthcare industry, including experience in the public sector.  She most recently served from 2014 to 2017 as President and Chief Executive Officer of UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Tennessee, a health plan serving more than 500,000 government sponsored healthcare consumers with over $2.5 billion of annual revenue, after having previously served as Senior Vice President, Performance Excellence and Accountability for UnitedHealthcare Community & State from 2006 to 2014.  Ms. Johnson-Mills also previously served as the Director of Medicaid Managed Care for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and as Chief Executive Officer of Managed Health Services Indiana and Buckeye Health Plan, wholly owned subsidiaries of Centene Corporation.

Lee S. Wielansky, Chairman of Brookdale's Board of Directors, said, "We are excited that Rita has joined our Board.  As an accomplished executive in the healthcare space, she brings deep expertise in healthcare operations and strategy, and we're confident that she will provide many valuable contributions and insights as we execute our operational turnaround strategy.  Rita's appointment reflects a continued commitment by our full Board to ongoing board refreshment and to ensuring that our Board has the skill sets needed to drive shareholder value."

About Brookdale Senior Living

Brookdale Senior Living Inc. is the leading operator of senior living communities throughout the United States. The Company is committed to providing senior living solutions primarily within properties that are designed, purpose-built and operated to provide the highest-quality service, care and living accommodations for residents. Brookdale operates independent living, assisted living, and dementia-care communities and continuing care retirement centers, with approximately 988 communities in 46 states and the ability to serve approximately 95,000 residents as of June 30, 2018. Through its ancillary services program, the Company also offers a range of home health, hospice and outpatient therapy services. Brookdale's stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol BKD.

Safe Harbor

Certain statements in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties and include all statements that are not historical statements of fact and those regarding our intent, belief or expectations, including, but not limited to, statements relating to the implementation of our turnaround strategy and driving shareholder value. These forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions and expectations, and our ability to predict results or the actual effect of future plans or strategies is inherently uncertain. Although we believe that expectations reflected in any forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, we can give no assurance that our expectations will be attained and actual results and performance could differ materially from those projected. Factors which could have a material adverse effect on our operations and future prospects or which could cause events or circumstances to differ from the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the risk associated with the current global economic situation and its impact upon capital markets and liquidity; changes in governmental reimbursement programs; the risk of overbuilding, new supply and new competition; our inability to extend (or refinance) debt (including our credit and letter of credit facilities) as it matures; the risk that we may not be able to satisfy the conditions precedent to exercising the extension options associated with certain of our debt agreements; events which adversely affect the ability of seniors to afford our resident fees or entrance fees; the conditions of housing markets in certain geographic areas; our ability to generate sufficient cash flow to cover required interest and long-term lease payments and to fund our planned capital projects; risks related to the implementation of our redefined strategy, including initiatives undertaken to execute on our strategic priorities and their effect on our results; the effect of our indebtedness and long-term leases on our liquidity; the effect of our non-compliance with any of our debt or lease agreements (including the financial covenants contained therein) and the risk of lenders or lessors declaring a cross default in the event of our non-compliance with any such agreements; the risk of loss of property pursuant to our mortgage debt and long-term lease obligations; the possibilities that changes in the capital markets, including changes in interest rates and/or credit spreads, or other factors could make financing more expensive or unavailable to us; our determination from time to time to purchase any shares under our share repurchase program; our ability to fund any repurchases; our ability to effectively manage our growth; our ability to maintain consistent quality control; delays in obtaining regulatory approvals; the risk that we may not be able to expand, redevelop and reposition our communities in accordance with our plans; our ability to complete acquisition, disposition, lease restructuring and termination, financing, re-financing and venture transactions on agreed upon terms or at all, including in respect of the satisfaction of closing conditions, the risk that regulatory approvals are not obtained or are subject to unanticipated conditions, and uncertainties as to the timing of closing, and our ability to identify and pursue any such opportunities in the future; our ability to successfully integrate acquisitions; competition for the acquisition of assets; our ability to obtain additional capital on terms acceptable to us; a decrease in the overall demand for senior housing; our vulnerability to economic downturns; acts of nature in certain geographic areas; terminations of our resident agreements and vacancies in the living spaces we lease; early terminations or non-renewal of management agreements; increased competition for skilled personnel; increased wage pressure and union activity; departure of our key officers and potential disruption caused by changes in management; increases in market interest rates; environmental contamination at any of our communities; failure to comply with existing environmental laws; an adverse determination or resolution of complaints filed against us; the cost and difficulty of complying with increasing and evolving regulation; unanticipated costs to comply with legislative or regulatory developments, including requirements to obtain emergency power generators for our communities; as well as other risks detailed from time to time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. When considering forward-looking statements, you should keep in mind the risk factors and other cautionary statements in such SEC filings. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any of these forward-looking statements, which reflect our management's views as of the date of this press release. We cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements, and we expressly disclaim any obligation to release publicly any updates or revisions to any of these forward-looking statements to reflect any change in our expectations with regard thereto or change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any statement is based.

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SOURCE Brookdale Senior Living Inc.