Inside Sheppard Pratt’s Decades-Long Value-Based Care Journey

Legacy nonprofit behavioral health provider Sheppard Pratt is a veteran of value-based care contracting. The Baltimore-based organization, which offers everything from inpatient services to special education schools, got into value-based care contracting roughly 25 years ago when the state of Maryland approached the provider. The state acknowledged that it struggled to care for a specific […]

‘Everyone’s Trying to Solve This From Different Angles’: Addressing the Worsening Pediatric Behavioral Health Crisis

Rates of pediatric behavioral health conditions have skyrocketed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the federal government has poured hundreds of millions of dollars into pediatric mental health services. Last year, the Biden administration pledged nearly $300 million to expand mental health services in schools, for instance. Still, addressing the youth […]

Rogers Behavioral’s New CEO Eyes National Expansion, More Digital and Outpatient Services

Rogers Behavioral Health System Inc.’s new CEO John Boyd said the nonprofit is on track for national expansion. Oconomowoc, Wisconsin-based Rogers Behavioral Health named Boyd CEO in August 2022. He started effective Oct. 1, succeeding Pat Hammer, who held the role for 10 years. The organization operates in 10 states, and its facilities include three […]

LifeStance Pulling Back on M&A, Ready to Put Hybrid Model to Work Post-PHE

LifeStance (Nasdaq: LFST) is pulling back from its expansion efforts as it refocuses its goal on long-term profitability. The sizable behavioral health provider plans to do this by consolidating brick-and-mortar facilities, cutting payer contracts by 25% and pulling back on its M&A strategy, instead opting for more organic growth. The company has its sights set […]

Acadia CEO: More Tech Will Pump Up Referrals, Entice Payers

Acadia Healthcare Company Inc.’s (Nasdaq: ACHC) technology could lead to better integration across its business lines. This, in turn, could translate into added value for the company in two key ways, according to CEO Chris Hunter. Those areas are better internal referral practices and stronger negotiating positions with payers, including value-based care considerations.  “Less than […]

UHS Expects Staffing Costs to Drop, Paving the Way for Growth in 2023

Universal Health Services (NYSE: UHS) leadership projects workforce pressures may ease up this year, allowing it to return to growth mode. Executives at the King of Prussia-based hospital system estimate that lower COVID rates will result in lower premium pay for temporary employees. Across the business, executives expect those costs to shrink by a third […]

As Behavioral Health Valuations Dip, Acadia Plans Expansion into Under-Bedded Markets

Acadia Healthcare Company Inc. (Nasdaq: ACHC) is eyeing further M&A activity and de novo expansion in 2023. With the former, the behavioral health provider anticipates taking advantage of falling valuations as well. Generally, the Tennessee-based Acadia is doubling down on its five-pillar growth strategy. In addition to M&A and de novos, the strategy includes facility […]

Expanding Behavioral Health Access with Integrated Care Must Be Health Systems’ ‘True North’

Massive demand for behavioral health care in the primary care setting is forcing an overdue fusion of the two segments of medicine.  However, whether health care systems or payers are ready, this fusion is happening. “Primary care functions as a catch-all because we take care of the whole patient. There’s work that falls on us […]

UHS Announces New $61M JV; Summa Health Opens $84M Behavioral Health Facility

Caron Treatment Centers expands in Florida Wernersville, Pennsylvania-based nonprofit behavioral health provider Caron Treatment Centers opened its 100,000-square-foot facility at the beginning of February, according to a news release from the organization. The facility, The Keele Medical Center, is located at 4575 Linton Boulevard, Delray Beach, Florida. It offers a medical detox unit, 40 residential […]

Why Rural Areas Could Be a Prime Target for Behavioral Health Providers, Investors

A new report demonstrates the need and opportunity for more significant investment in the rural mental health workforce. As behavioral health organizations and investors look for different ways to grow, rural communities present opportunities to address higher-than-average unmet needs for mental health services and capitalize on challenging workforce trends. “If there is an equal amount […]