A Partnership for Success

Bryon Womack is a seasoned healthcare executive and licensed nursing home administrator with more than two decades of proven success in the skilled nursing industry. As Chief Executive Officer of RISE Skilled Nursing Management, LLC, Bryon leads a multi-state organization dedicated to revitalizing community-based facilities through a culture defined by Respect, Integrity, Service, and Excellence.

A summa cum laude graduate of Appalachian State University with a master’s degrees in healthcare administration, Bryon has built his career on operational discipline, financial acumen, and a deep commitment to resident-centered care. Over the past 20 years, he has guided multi-state portfolios through complex turnarounds, facility acquisitions, and strategic growth initiatives—earning the trust of public boards, county governments, and private investors alike.

Before founding RISE, Bryon served as minority owner and Chief Operating Officer of WW Healthcare, where he directed operations across multiple states and helped facilities achieve record-high quality outcomes and financial stability. He has personally managed over $6.5 million in capital improvements, led multiple ground-up construction and renovation projects, and successfully transitioned facilities to fully electronic EHR platforms, driving measurable gains in efficiency, compliance, and resident care.

Under Bryon’s leadership, RISE continues to expand its reputation as a trusted operator of choice for skilled nursing and post-acute care facilities—partnering with local communities, lenders, and landlords to restore value, strengthen compliance, and deliver exceptional resident outcomes. His leadership is defined by servant leadership—creating a culture that celebrates excellence, learns from challenges, and channels every operational efficiency toward enhancing bedside care and resident well-being.

Ashley L. Smithey is an accomplished healthcare executive with more than 24 years of experience leading skilled nursing facilities and multi-site operations to peak performance. As Chief Operating Officer of RISE Skilled Nursing Management, LLC, Ashley brings an exceptional blend of operational discipline, analytical precision, and passion for excellence that drives measurable outcomes across every facility under her leadership.

A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Asheville with a bachelor’s degree in Management and a concentration in Healthcare, Ashley began her career with a family-owned management company in North Carolina, where she played a pivotal role in transforming five skilled nursing facilities during ownership transitions. Her leadership laid the foundation for long-term success—implementing modern systems, elevating care delivery, and stabilizing operations across facilities ranging from 100 to 170 dually certified Medicare/Medicaid beds.

Over the course of her career, Ashley has led organizations through sustained growth and cultural renewal. Her data-driven approach and relentless pursuit of excellence have resulted in occupancy increases from 66% to 95%, EBITDAR margins above 28%, and skilled mix growth exceeding 30% of total occupancy. Under her guidance, case mix indices improved from 1.04 to 1.5, showcasing her ability to balance clinical integrity with financial performance.

Beyond the numbers, Ashley is known for developing people and processes that last. She has designed and implemented core organizational frameworks for employee engagement, onboarding, mentoring, survey management, and business development, resulting in multiple deficiency-free surveys, 5-Star CMS ratings, and the elimination of agency staffing across her facilities.

As a minority owner and Chief Operating Officer of RISE, Ashley exemplifies the company’s core values of Respect, Integrity, Service, and Excellence. Her leadership style is both hands-on and visionary—driving operational efficiency while inspiring teams to deliver compassionate, high-quality care. Her work ethic, knowledge, and unwavering commitment to excellence have earned her the respect of peers and partners alike, setting the standard for what leadership in skilled nursing should be.

Jackie Price is an accomplished financial executive with more than 25 years of experience leading organizations in healthcare and other highly regulated industries. As Chief Financial Officer of RISE Skilled Nursing Management, LLC, Jackie brings entrepreneurial insight, financial discipline, and strategic foresight to every aspect of the company’s operations.

An entrepreneur at heart, Jackie has successfully founded, scaled, and managed businesses across the U.S. and Canada, developing a deep understanding of what drives sustainable growth. Her leadership experience spans public and private sectors, where she has guided multicultural, geographically dispersed teams through complex financial environments with precision and purpose.

Jackie’s career includes key roles in financial restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, and performance optimization, often serving as the critical liaison between boards of directors, lenders, and strategic partners. She has led large-scale financial operations—including international startup ventures with more than 7,500 employees and $700 million in annual revenue—with the same hands-on, results-driven approach she now brings to RISE.

As CFO, Jackie’s focus is on strengthening financial infrastructure, optimizing operational efficiency, and supporting RISE’s mission to reinvest every available resource back into quality care and sustainable growth. Her leadership blends analytical rigor with entrepreneurial energy, ensuring that RISE remains fiscally sound, strategically agile, and positioned for long-term success.

Amber Denny brings nearly three decades of leadership and clinical expertise to her role as Chief Nursing Officer for RISE SNF Management. A graduate of Foothills Nursing Consortium, Amber began her career as a direct care nurse in skilled nursing facilities and quickly earned a reputation for her dedication to residents and her ability to lead by example. Over the next ten years, she advanced into leadership roles including Staff Development Coordinator, Assistant Director of Nursing, and Director of Nursing for a 147-bed dementia specialty facility, where she led her team to a deficiency-free annual survey in 2014.

Following her success at the facility level, Amber transitioned into regional consulting and corporate leadership roles, supporting up to fourteen skilled nursing facilities in operations spanning across more than fifteen states. As both a Clinical Consultant and Regulatory Specialist, she became known for her expertise in survey readiness, compliance, and nursing department financial management—helping multiple centers graduate from the CMS Special Focus list and strengthen their overall performance.

With 28 years of experience spanning all areas of long-term care, Amber leads RISE’s clinical operations with a “boots-on-the-ground” approach—mentoring Directors of Nursing, supporting front-line teams, and ensuring that RISE’s core values of Respect, Integrity, Service, and Excellence are reflected in every aspect of care delivery.