LifeStance Installs New CMO; Pelago Names Chief Scientific Officer

LifeStance Health names Quartet, Teladoc veteran as CMO

LifeStance Health (NASDAQ: LFST) appointed Ujjwal Ramtekkar as chief medical officer.

Ramtekkar is charged with maintaining high-quality, personalized care.

“Dr. Ramtekkar is an experienced physician executive with a demonstrated track record of driving exceptional patient and clinical outcomes,” Ken Burdick, chairman and CEO of LifeStance, said in a statement. “His passion for our mission, commitment to clinical excellence and experience leading diverse clinical teams make him a natural fit to lead our clinical organization as we continue to redefine the outpatient mental health space and increase access to high-quality care.”

Double board-certified pediatric and adult psychiatrist Ramtekkar previously served as executive medical director of Quartet Health and as senior medical director of enterprise clinical strategy at Teladoc Health. He is also an adjunct clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine.

LifeStance’s former CMO, Anisha Patel-Dunn, said she left the role to spend more time with her family. She will work with Ramtekkar to “ensure a seamless transition.”

The behavioral health company consolidated its physical locations in November of 2023, closing 70 centers. 

Pelago promotes VP of clinical affairs to chief scientific officer

Digital behavioral health provider Pelago elevated its vice president of clinical affairs, Suzette Glasner, to its chief scientific officer role, according to Glasner’s LinkedIn. 

Pelago, formerly known as Quit Genius, initially hired licensed clinical psychologist and scientist Glasner in 2022. Her research has focused on developing and testing digital treatments for addictions and related conditions.

She is also the author of “The Addiction Recovery Skills Workbook.” 

The B2B company named a new chief product officer in October of 2023. It expanded its alcohol use disorder (AUD) and opioid use disorder (OUD) services to teens in June. 

Pelago operates on a full-risk, value-based care payment model.

Lighthouse Autism Center names chief financial officer

Autism treatment provider Lighthouse named Jeffrey Hulburt its new chief financial officer, according to Hulburt’s LinkedIn. 

Hulburt previously served as chief revenue officer at the Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD) and formerly worked as chief business officer at Beth Israel Lahey Health Performance Network.

Lighthouse bills itself as “the Midwest’s leading ABA and speech therapy center.” The company’s clinical model blends applied behavioral analysis (ABA) principles with speech therapy. 

The company recently opened two new autism centers in Iowa. 

Conway Behavioral Health Hospital onboards new CEO

Conway Behavioral Health Hospital named Beau Lynch its new CEO, according to the hospital’s LinkedIn. 

Lynch formerly served as behavioral health executive director of JFK Medical Center for HCA Healthcare before serving as vice president and CEO of Palm Beach, Florida-based NeuroBehavioral Hospitals.

The Conway, Arizona-based hospital treats a variety of behavioral health conditions, including ADHD, substance use disorders (SUDs), depression, bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder.

The hospital’s programs include intensive outpatient programs (IOPs), partial hospitalization programs (PHPs), inpatient programs and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).

Freedom Institute names new director of clinical programming

Outpatient treatment and recovery center Freedom Institute named “groundbreaker” Andrew Tatarsky its director of clinical programming.

Tatarsky is credited with pioneering the integrative harm reduction psychotherapy (IHRP) approach to substance use.

He is tasked with expanding new IHRP-centered programming to treat SUDs and create an internal IHRP training program.

“Dr. Tatarsky is a true groundbreaker,” Andrew Gerber, president and medical director of Silver Hill Hospital, which is currently working to partner with Freedom Institute, said in a statement. “Through his career, he has been driven by a deep responsibility to the individuals in his care and compelled to develop innovative and empathic approaches to help them.”

Freedom Institute is an independent non-profit founded in 1976. It provides in-person and telehealth SUD treatment as well as related mental health conditions.

PM Pediatric Care announces new CEO

Pediatric behavioral health provider PM Pediatric Care appointed Kevin Trexler as its new CEO. The company’s founding co-CEOs, Steven Katz and Jeffrey Schor, will stay on as board members.

Trexler has more than 25 years of leadership experience and most recently served as CEO of mental health provider SOL Mental Health.

“Dr. Schor and I are impressed with Kevin’s proven track record and feel confident in the tremendous promise of what he will do as chief executive officer,” Katz said. “Most importantly, he is aligned with the mission and values and is committed to delivering outstanding patient care.”

PM Pediatric Care offers comprehensive behavioral health services in 80 locations in more than 15 states. It scored $50 million in capital in June of 2023.

I Am Boundless Inc. promotes vice president of programs to chief strategy officer

Whole-person autism care provider I Am Boundless named Jennifer Riha its chief strategy officer.

“Serving as the vice president of programs for Boundless over the past two and a half years has been an honor,” Riha wrote in a LinkedIn post.

Before working at Boundless, Riha owned a behavioral health consulting company. She is a clinical counselor by training.

Boundless provides diverse services geared toward people with autism, including primary, dental, speech and psychiatry care. The company also offers day services and residential support.