As the push to integrate behavioral health into primary and specialty care gains momentum, a number of health systems are appointing new leaders to oversee this transformation. These executives are tasked with aligning behavioral health strategies across clinical settings, building out service lines and ensuring consistent care delivery.
Here are 54 executive moves to know:
1. Andrea Westerfield was named CEO of Nashville, Tenn.-based Mental Health Cooperative. Ms. Westerfield will return to the organization after previously serving in senior leadership roles there, including as COO. She began her career at Mental Health Cooperative as a care manager and spent over 18 years with the organization before exiting.
2. Jason Andrus, MD, was appointed chair of psychiatry for Northwell’s Northern Westchester Hospital based in Mount Kisco, N.Y. Dr. Andrus will oversee inpatient and outpatient psychiatric services, focusing on clinical quality, programmatic growth and an academic environment dedicated to evidence-based practices.
3. Christine Crawford, MD, was named chief medical officer of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Dr. Crawford first joined NAMI as associate medical director in 2020. In her new role, Dr. Crawford will provide strategic leadership on NAMI’s medical, scientific and public education initiatives. She will also help advance its mental health education, advocacy, research and access to care.
4. Randy Hunter was named CEO of Louisa, Ky.-based Addiction Recovery Care. Mr. Hunter will continue serving as CEO of Prestonburg, Ky.-based Frontier Behavioral Health while leading ARC. He has decades of experience in substance use treatment services and founded the residential treatment centers of Frontier.
5. Josh Cantwell was named CEO of Tula, Okla.-based Grand Mental Health. Mr. Cantwell is a 20-year veteran of Grand and most recently served as COO of the organization. In that role, he guided day-to-day operations across Grand Mental Health’s 31 locations in 13 Oklahoma counties.
6. Nassima Ait-Daoud Tiouririne, MD, was named chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences for the University of Virginia School of Medicine based in Charlottesville. Dr. Ait-Daoud Tiouririne was appointed interim chair in September 2025 and began her new role the week of Aug. 3.
7. Justin Adams was named COO of Birmingham, Ala.-based Bradford Health Services. In his new role, Mr. Adams will oversee the organization’s inpatient and outpatient operations. He most recently served as COO of Franklin, Tenn.-based Odyssey Behavioral Healthcare and previously oversaw 14 specialty treatment facilities and 18 outpatient clinics across nine states as a division president at Acadia Healthcare.
8. John Hollinsworth joined Birmingham, Ala.-based Bradford Health Services’ board of directors. Mr. Hollinsworth retired in 2024 as executive vice president of operations at Franklin, Tenn.-based Acadia Healthcare. He will advise Bradford’s board and management on strategy, governance, leadership development and infrastructure.
9. Guillermo Viveros was named president and CEO of San Jose, Calif.-based Gardner Health Services. Mr. Viveros previously served as CFO and interim president and CEO of the organization, which provides medical and behavioral health care to over 47,000 patients across Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.
10. Diana Medina, PhD, was named chief psychologist of Phoenix-based Roya Health. In her new role, Dr. Medina will lead development of the practice’s APA doctoral training program and a group counseling curriculum designed to expand access to psychological care.
11. Wendy Reid was named director of operations of Phoenix-based Roya Health. In her new role, Ms. Reid will oversee the practice’s operational systems, workflows, staffing and care coordination to support its integrated care model.
12. Shalini Tharani, MD, was named chief medical officer of Phoenix-based Roya Health. Dr. Tharani will provide psychiatric leadership for the practice’s integrated care model, overseeing the medical component of treatment for children and families.
13. Ivy Chong, PhD, was named chief clinical officer of New York City-based Autism Care Partners. Dr. Chong most recently served as chief clinical officer of Silver Spring, Md.-based Little Leaves Behavioral Services and senior vice president of children’s services at May Institute in Randolph, Mass.
14. Kris Gochenour was appointed chief financial officer of New York City-based Autism Care Partners. Mr. Gochenour most recently served as CFO of Columbia, Md.-based Verbal Beginnings, a multi-state provider of comprehensive autism services.
15. Steven Wall was named interim president and CEO of Wernersville, Pa.-based Caron Treatment Centers, a provider of alcohol and drug addiction care. Mr. Wall also serves as managing partner of Morgan Lewis and Bockius, a law firm located in Philadelphia.
16. Vonzella Jenkins was promoted to executive director at Las Vegas-based Icarus Behavioral Health Nevada. In her new role, she oversees day-to-day operations and works across clinical, admissions and support teams. Ms. Jenkins previously served as operations lead since the treatment center’s opening.
17. Eric Morrow, MD, PhD, was named founding director of the Lurie Autism Institute by Philadelphia-based Penn Medicine and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Morrow will assume the role Sept. 1.
18. Wayne Young was appointed vice president and CEO of the Texas Behavioral Health Center and vice president of behavioral health integration and partnerships at Dallas-based UT Southwestern Medical Center, effective Aug. 3. Mr. Young currently serves as CEO of The Harris Center for Mental Health and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Houston.
19. Rene Havel, EdD, was appointed CEO of Amarillo, Texas-based Northwest Texas Healthcare System Behavioral Health hospital. Ms. Havel has served in leadership roles at Northwest Texas Healthcare System since 2016, including counselor, clinical supervisor, director of clinical services and case management, and most recently interim CEO of the behavioral health hospital.
20. Laura Hinson was named CFO for Coral Gables, Fla.-based Acorn Health. Ms. Hinson previously served as CFO for medical group services at Brentwood, Tenn.-based LifePoint Health and as CFO at Franklin, Tenn-based PhyNet Dermatology. In her new role, she will oversee the company’s financial operations as Acorn Health continues its growth.
21. Jonathan Posner, MD, was named system psychiatrist-in-chief and department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences chair for Nashville, Tenn.-based Vanderbilt Health. He will assume the role Oct. 1. Dr. Posner currently serves as executive vice president of the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Durham, N.C.-based Duke Health.
22. Corey Cronrath, DO, was named interim CEO for Nashville, Tenn.-based Mental Health Cooperative. Dr. Cronrath also serves as chief medical officer and chief information officer for the organization.
23. James Polo, MD, was named chief medical officer for Optum Behavioral Health. In his role, Dr. Polo focuses on clinical quality and policy, member experience, regulatory strategy, utilization management, affordability, innovation, and population health for various health plans. He will work with UnitedHealthcare, the rest of Optum, other clients, provider networks and care delivery organizations.
24. Tom Weber was promoted to COO by Nashville, Tenn.-based Centerstone, the largest behavioral healthcare nonprofit in the country. In this role, Mr. Weber will oversee the organization’s day-to-day functions. He has served as chief administrative officer since 2021, when Preferred Family Healthcare and Burrell Behavioral Health merged to form Brightli, now Centerstone.
25. Anna Goletz was appointed CEO and executive vice president of Nashville, Tenn.-based Centerstone’s Military Services. Ms. Goletz joined the organization in 2009 and most recently served as chief operating officer of Centerstone’s Military Services. In that role, she oversaw behavioral health programs serving approximately 8,000 military-connected clients annually across all 50 states and internationally.
26. C.J. Davis, PsyD, was named CEO following the organization’s 2025 affiliation with Springfield, Mo.-based Brightli. Dr. Davis previously served as CEO of Brightli from 2022 to 2025 and brings more than 30 years of experience in behavioral healthcare leadership, clinical operations and organizational growth.
27. Pete Clarke was appointed CEO of Irvine, Calif.-based Discovery Behavioral Health as part of a restructuring agreement designed to reduce the company’s debt obligations and result in a change in majority ownership. Mr. Clarke has more than two decades of experience in healthcare leadership and previously held senior leadership roles at DaVita in Colorado and Fresenius Medical Care in Germany.
28. Evan Feuer was promoted to director of behavioral health at New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health. In the role, he will continue leading the health system’s ambulatory psychiatric rehabilitation community-based programs, with a focus on providing services that address social determinants of health needs and improve overall wellness.
29. Mark Helms, MD, was named medical director at Tucson, Ariz.-based Sierra Tucson. In his new role, Dr. Helms will oversee the provider’s medical staff and psychiatric services, including the integration of evidence-based treatment modalities for residents.
30. Raman Baweja, MD, was named medical director for telepsychiatry and virtual behavioral health at Hershey, Pa.-based Penn State Health, effective July 1, 2026. Dr. Baweja will provide clinical leadership for the health system’s virtual psychiatry and behavioral health programs alongside Christopher LaCoe, RN, vice president of virtual health. In this role, his work will focus on quality, patient and provider experience, access and long-term program development.
31. Yakima, Wash.-based Comprehensive Healthcare promoted Kamran Khatri, MSN, to COO and named Amanda Adams as CHRO as the behavioral health provider expands programs and facilities across Central and Southwest Washington. Mr. Khatri joined the organization in May 2025 as division chief of nursing, while Ms. Adams previously served as president of Congdon Orchards and held executive HR roles at Tacoma, Wash.-based MultiCare Health System.
32. W. Brett Graham was named president of Salt Lake City-based Huntsman Mental Health at the University of Utah. Since February 2025, Mr. Graham has served as interim CEO of the institute, overseeing enterprise operations and strategic initiatives. In this role, he will oversee strategy and operations for the institute, working alongside the chair of the department of psychiatry and chief administrative officer to align clinical care, research, education and community engagement efforts.
33. Danelle Trottier was named CEO of Phoenix-based Axiom Care, a provider of behavioral health services, substance use treatment and recovery housing. Ms. Trottier stepped into the role after serving as COO since 2024, bringing more than two decades of experience in behavioral health and addiction services management.
34. Joe Willey was named COO for Oklahoma City-based Xpress Wellness, effective April 27. In this role, Mr. Willey will oversee day-to-day operations across Xpress Wellness and Integrity Urgent Care to support expansion efforts and operational consistency across clinics.
35. David Duckworth was appointed interim CFO of Franklin, Tenn.-based Acadia Healthcare, effective May 1. Mr. Duckworth replaces Todd Young and previously served as CFO of the company. He will serve in the role until Acadia completes its search for a permanent CFO.
36. Suzanne Sampang, MD, was appointed director of the division of child and adolescent psychiatry — one of three divisions within the Mental and Behavioral Health Institute — at Cincinnati Children’s. She has served as interim division director, senior medical director for the division and medical co-director of adolescent inpatient psychiatry, bringing more than 20 years of clinical, education and leadership experience to this role.
37. Howard Weeks, MD, was named chief medical director of Henderson, Nev.-based Behavioral Health Solutions. Dr. Weeks brings more than two decades of experience in behavioral health leadership, clinical operations and healthcare system strategy. He most recently served as chief medical officer at Eating Recovery Center and Pathlight Mood and Anxiety Centers, where he oversaw a national clinical organization delivering care across several levels of acuity.
38. Matthew Mosquera, MD, will serve as regional medical director and site director at Newton, Mass.-based Lumin Health’s Cambridge location. Dr. Mosquera will oversee clinical quality and consistency across the organization’s Massachusetts clinics, including standardizing protocols, supporting clinicians and coordinating with referring providers. He will also lead efforts to develop a care environment for patients with treatment-resistent depression and complex mood disorders.
39. Shawna Gisch has been named CEO of Minneapolis-based Sagent Behavioral Health, succeeding Mark Peterson, who will continue to serve on the company’s board of directors. Ms. Gisch brings more than 20 years of experience in healthcare leadership, having held roles at UnitedHealthcare, Optum Health and Optum Rx.
40. Jack Field was appointed president of Newport News, Va.-based Riverside Health’s Riverside Mental Health and Recovery Center in Hampton, Va. Mr. Fields succeeds Stacey Johnson, who was recently named president of Riverside Doctors’ Hospital Williamsburg (Va.), rejoining the psychiatric hospital after previously serving as its director of operations.
41. Brach Myers will serve as vice president of corporate development at Plano, Texas-based Oceans Healthcare. In this role, Mr. Myers will help lead the behavioral health provider’s efforts to expand partnerships with hospitals and health systems and scale nationwide.
42. Daniel Cancelmi has been named to Franklin, Tenn.-based Acadia Healthcare’s board of directors. Mr. Cancelmi retired from Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare at the end of 2023, where he served for more than three decades with the system.
43. Kristin Wilson was named chief growth and experience officer for Nashville, Tenn.-based Newport Healthcare. Ms. Wilson joined Newport Healthcare in 2015 and has held leadership roles across the organization. In the role, she will oversee efforts to align clinical innovation, admissions strategy, outreach, brand experience and operational strategy to support the organization’s growth.
44. Cady Pruitt has been named CEO of Oceans Behavioral Hospital in Baton Rouge, La. Ms. Pruitt joined Plano, Texas-based Oceans Healthcare in 2021 at Louisiana Behavioral Health in Shreveport, La. In her new role, she will oversee hospital operations, clinical quality and strategic growth initiatives.
45. Rasim Somer Diler, MD, will serve as clinical service chief of psychiatry and behavioral health for OU Health in Oklahoma City and the Paul and Ruth Jonas Chair of the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine. He will begin his new role in July.
46. Bryan Baucom has been named CIO of Nashville, Tenn.-based Centerstone. Mr. Baucom will provide leadership and oversight across the organization’s technology functions, supporting teams responsible for the help desk, IT infrastructure, business applications, data analytics, EHR and cybersecurity.
47. Jason Kirby, DO, an addiction and family medicine physician, was named chief medical officer of King of Prussia, Pa.-based Recovery Centers of America. He previously served in medical director and CMO roles focused on evidence-based models, clinical quality and outcomes-driven systems.
48. Brent Nelson, MD, was appointed chief innovation officer of Nashville, Tenn.-based Newport Healthcare. He will work across Newport’s inpatient, residential and outpatient behavioral health programs to advance clinical quality and operational efficiency. In previous roles, he served as chief medical information officer and led the Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation program for Newport’s PrairieCare program.
49. Debra Osteen was reappointed as CEO of Franklin, Tenn.-based Acadia Healthcare after Chris Hunter departed the role. Ms. Osteen previously served as CEO from 2018 to 2022 and remained on the company’s board until 2024. Before her initial tenure at Acadia, she was executive vice president of Universal Health Services and president of its behavioral health division for 19 years.
50. Manish Sapra, MD, was named vice president of Chicago-based CommonSpirit’s national service line of behavioral health. His focus is on improving access, expanding integrated care models and building sustainable structures to support the system’s mission.
51. Thomas Britton, PhD, was appointed CEO of Discovery Behavioral Health, based in Irvine, Calif. Dr. Britton brings decades of clinical and executive leadership experience to the role, having previously served as CEO of Accanto Health, American Addiction Center and Gateway Foundation.
52. Caroline Carney, MD, was appointed CEO of Frisco, Texas-based Magellan Health. Dr. Carney held several leadership roles since joining Magellan in 2016. She became chief medical officer in 2020 and was named president of the organization’s behavioral health business in 2022.
53. Dave Jenkins was named vice president of behavioral health services for Greensboro, N.C.-based Cone Health. He joined the health system in 2012 and has held leadership roles across various service lines, including geriatrics, clinical dietetics, diabetes education and sleep disorders. Mr. Jenkins oversees Cone Health Behavioral Health Hospital and leads the system’s behavioral health initiatives.
54. David Rubin, MD, was appointed chief medical officer of Plano, Texas-based Oceans Healthcare. In previous roles, he served as director of the division of professional and public education for the department of psychiatry at Boston-based Massachusetts General Hospital and Somerville, Mass.-based Mass General Brigham for Children.
At the Becker's Fall Behavioral Health Summit, taking place November 4–5 in Chicago, behavioral health leaders and executives will explore strategies for expanding access to care, integrating services, addressing workforce challenges and leveraging innovation to improve outcomes across the behavioral health continuum. Apply for complimentary registration now.
