Movers & Shakers: Centerstone’s New Hire; Biden Taps Advisor from National Council

Centerstone Illinois adds MAT director 

Centerstone has hired a new medication-assisted treatment (MAT) medical director for its Illinois region. 

Wayne O. Wells stepped into the position Feb. 1. He brings more than 35 years of experience as a physician to the role, in addition to a slew of executive experience. In the past, he was chief of staff at Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital in Tennessee, as well as the assistant director of family medicine for the State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn.

In the new position, Wells will be responsible for overseeing MAT services at Centerstone Illinois.

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Headquartered in Nashville, Centerstone is the largest community behavioral health system in the country, with more than 170 locations and two full-scale addiction recovery centers scattered across multiple states. The not-for-profit behavioral health system also has a research institute, a foundation and a number of specialized programs.

Community Psychiatry revamps executive team to prepare for growth

Community Psychiatry has filled a number of C-suite positions in an effort to prepare the company for national expansion. Just a couple weeks after hiring a new CEO, the company has also added a new COO, a new CFO and a chief growth officer.

The regional provider of virtual and in-person behavioral health care serves people all across California. Headquartered in Sacramento, Community Psychiatry has more than 120 clinicians and 44 locations across the Golden State.

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The company has added Julie McCarter as COO; Mark Brandow as CFO; and Ernie Varvoutis as Chief Growth Officer. All three executives have decades of experience in health care. Plus, they’ve all held senior positions at large-scale organizations and have experience growing companies, according to a press release announcing the news.

“Their unique strengths and expertise will support the vigorous expansion of Community Psychiatry’s provider-driven model as the choice platform for both clinicians and patients as we continue to grow innovative clinical programs with our key partners,” Community Psychiatry CEO Christopher Brengard said in a press release announcing the news.

Brengard also recently told BHB that the new executive hires are meant to help the company transform itself from a regional behavioral health provider into a national one.

Biden admin taps National Council advisor

The Biden administration has appointed the National Council for Behavioral Health’s Tom Hill to the position of senior policy advisor at the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). 

The National Council, where Hill has worked for the past four years, announced the news in a press release January 28.

Hill joined the organization as the vice president for practice improvement in 2017, then transitioned to a senior advisor role in 2020. Previously, he served in the Obama administration as a senior advisor on addiction and recovery at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). 

“This is an exciting transition and an exciting opportunity because of the Biden-Harris administration’s support for health care, broadly, and its stated goal of addressing health care and racial inequity,” Hill said in the press release. “They are making a priority of tackling COVID-19, improving access to care, addressing the growing need for behavioral health care and reducing overdoses and overdose deaths.”

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