John Capecelatro, CEO and co-founder of New York City-based Radial, was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, a chronic inflammatory bowel condition, when he was 8 years old and spent most of his childhood in a state of illness. He has lived with a chronic physical condition for 25 years while also grappling with mental health challenges — experiences that he said inform his mission as a healthcare leader.
“My perspective on amazing consumer experience is born largely out of my own patient experience as a child, and reflecting deeply on moments that I did not feel went very well on my own journey,” he said. “Whether it was about understanding what my condition was, understanding what my set of treatment options were, understanding how to pay for care and understanding how to manage that in the context of my life.”
Radial operates seven clinics in six states, delivering a full range of interventional psychiatry treatments. It is also building a national network of clinics that offer a comprehensive set of treatments, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation and Spravato, a nasal spray-administered treatment for depression, alongside more traditional services like therapy and medication management.
Mr. Capecelatro said it takes a diverse and experienced team to build out this new approach to accessing effective psychiatric care, united around a shared mission and vision. He emphasized how important diversity is in the space — so important that it is built into the company’s core values.
“It’s not a value that hangs on a pretty picture frame and a wall in our office, but it’s one that is talked about every single week across the company,” Mr. Capecelatro said.
He added that, as a CEO, it truly “takes a village” to expand interventional psychiatry nationwide.
“We have deeply grounded clinical leadership sitting next to me at the table, making important decisions about the intersection of what amazing care is, what an amazing service experience is, and then, ultimately, what a hopefully amazing and effective care journey is for our consumers,” he said.
Radial leadership measures success by meeting consumers — not patients — where they are, identifying the problem correctly, delivering rapid treatment and aiming to achieve remission.
“We don’t internally refer to patients as ‘patients.’ I think that identifies folks as being otherwise sick, and as someone who’s been very sick and a patient in my life, I’d much rather be treated like a customer and have an amazing service experience,” Mr. Capecelatro said. “We deeply believe that’s a core part of our operating philosophy.”
