Dental Care Alliance Names Doug Simpson Chief Financial Officer and Mike Murphy Chief Marketing Officer

Seasoned healthcare executives bring decades of financial leadership and growth-marketing expertise to support the company's next phase of expansion

SARASOTA, Fla., Sept. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Dental Care Alliance recently announced the addition of Doug Simpson as Chief Financial Officer and Mike Murphy as Chief Marketing Officer.

Doug Simpson brings three decades of healthcare finance and operating leadership across public, private, and private equity-backed organizations. He most recently served as President of Panoramic Health, a physician-led kidney care platform with more than 600 providers across 250+ locations in 15 states, after joining the company as EVP and Chief Financial Officer. Previously, he was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, a $13.6 billion insurer serving 3.7 million members, and held senior finance leadership roles at Elevance Health (formerly Anthem), including CFO of its $56 billion Government Business Division.

Earlier in his career, Simpson led equity research teams covering managed care and healthcare providers at Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch. He holds a BS in Business Administration from Bucknell University and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

"The CFO seat is where strategy, operations, and capital allocation come together," said Dr. Larry Benz, Chief Executive Officer. "Doug has served in every critical role — operator, CFO, and investor — at some of the largest and most complex healthcare organizations in the country. He is a proven developer of talent and a true enterprise thinker, and I could not be more excited to partner with him."

Mike Murphy is a data-driven marketing executive with more than 15 years of experience scaling private equity-backed, multi-location healthcare and service businesses. Most recently, he advised the CEO of Blackstone-backed DECA Dental Group / Ideal Dental, which includes more than 160 offices across 10 states, on acquisition strategy and marketing leadership transition. Previously, he served as EVP of Marketing at PetVet Care Centers, a KKR portfolio company with more than 430 animal hospitals across 39 states.

As the first marketing leader and ultimately the Chief Marketing Officer of DECA Dental Group, he built the marketing engine that supported the platform's expansion from 76 offices to more than 150 offices. During that time, he reduced customer acquisition costs by 65% and increased marketing ROI by 174%. Earlier, Mike led digital marketing and new client acquisition for VCA Animal Hospitals, a division of Mars Petcare with 800+ hospitals, growing new clients by 82% and generating $106 million in new client revenue at a 10:1 ROI.

"Sustainable growth happens when central strategy and local execution move in lockstep, and that is exactly the model Mike has built across some of the most demanding multi-location platforms in healthcare," said James Nick, Chief Operating Officer. "His discipline around full omni-channel marketing campaigns, combined with his track record of partnering with operations and field leadership, makes him the ideal leader for our continued growth."

"These appointments reflect our commitment to building a leadership team aligned with the scale of our ambitions," added Dr. Larry Benz, Chief Executive Officer. "Doug and Mike bring disciplined, data-driven leadership and a deep respect for the people delivering AmaZing care in our communities every day."

About Dental Care Alliance

Founded in 1991 and headquartered in Sarasota, Florida, Dental Care Alliance is a leading dental support organization with a mission to advance the practice of dentistry by partnering with and supporting dental professionals who create a lifetime of healthy smiles. DCA supports more than 400 affiliated dental practices and more than 900 dentists across 24 states.

SOURCE Dental Care Alliance