Local hospital company Essent Healthcare has tapped Kevin Gross and John Kirk to serve on its board of directors.

Gross serves as the senior vice president of hospital operations with St. Louis-based RehabCare Group. Previously in his career, however, he spent time with Nashville’s Ardent Health Services, where he was president of the company’s Oklahoma division.

Kirk is the CEO of Pioneer Medical Group, a multi-specialty medical group based in the Los Angeles area. During his career, he has spent time with a number of hospital outfits in the Southwest.

Essent runs five community hospital in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Texas.