For the first time in 12 years, Meadows Behavioral Healthcare has a new CEO.
The 47-year-old, Phoenix-based mental health and addiction treatment provider announced last week that Kate Renwick-Espinosa will take over for Sean Walsh, the company’s CEO since 2012.
Walsh moves into a new role as board advisor. A company spokesperson declined to say why he stepped down.
In a statement, the company’s executive chairman, Jim Dredge, called Walsh “a transformative leader” who guided the company through expansion. Renwick-Espinosa, meanwhile, will drive Meadows to “new heights,” according to Dredge.
Renwick-Espinosa comes to Meadows from over two decades at VSP Vision Care, the country’s largest managed vision care provider by patients. She spent the past nine years as president.
At Vision Care, Renwick-Espinosa was “responsible for the growth and operations of the multi-billion dollar business” through a collaboration with “employees, health plans, national employees benefit partners, and providers,” according to Meadows’ announcement.
“I am looking forward to applying my health care business background to advance the Meadows and positively impact more lives,” Renwick-Espinosa said in a statement.
Meadows operates seven residential treatment centers, the majority of which are in Wickenburg, an Arizona town an hour north of Phoenix. The company also runs 10 outpatient treatment centers located across the country.
In addition to treating drug and alcohol addiction, Meadows said that it provides care for emotional trauma, eating disorders and sex addiction.
In 2016, New York-based private equity firm Kohlberg & Company announced it acquired Meadows. Renwick-Espinosa joined Kohlberg & Company as an operating partner this year.
“Our team will focus on driving growth by meeting patients, clients and families where they are, enabling us to reach more people and have the greatest impact on addressing the demand for mental health, trauma and addiction treatment,” Renwick-Espinosa said.
