Acadia Healthcare is a leading provider of behavioral healthcare services across the United States. Acadia operates a growing network of 250 plus behavioral healthcare facilities with approximately 11,100 beds in 39 states and Puerto Rico. With more than 23,000 employees serving approximately 75,000 patients daily, Acadia is the largest stand-alone behavioral health company in the U.S.

Acadia Healthcare’s purpose is to Lead Care With Light and our mission is to be a world-class organization that sets the standard for excellence in the treatment of mental health and addiction concerns. We strive to maintain our standing as a thought leader in the behavioral healthcare industry, providing treatment that is synonymous with compassion and innovation.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Acadia Healthcare and ECU Health have partnered to establish a state-of-the-art, two-story, 144-bed behavioral health hospital in Greenville, NC. This new facility will help meet the urgent need for accessible, high-quality psychiatric care in the region, expanding capacity to support patients with diverse mental health needs. Set to open in Summer 2025, the hospital—located just under a mile from ECU Health Medical Center—will offer a full range of inpatient and intensive outpatient services. Additionally, it will host GME and residency programs in psychiatry and internal medicine for ECU Health’s Brody School of Medicine, advancing medical education and training in behavioral health. Adults, seniors, children, and adolescents facing acute mental health challenges, including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD, and co-occurring disorders, will have access to specialized treatment and support at this center of excellence.

This unique opportunity for an experienced behavioral health CEO to build and lead a cutting-edge hospital with Acadia, the nation’s premier behavioral healthcare provider, in partnership with ECU Health, one of the leading healthcare systems in NC.

The successful Chief Executive Officer candidate will:

• Be instrumental in developing a culture that emphasizes high quality care and patient safety.
• Manages day-to day operations and staff so that the facility achieves its objectives in all of the following key performance areas:

• effective patient care outcomes
• staff and patient Satisfaction
• deeply partnered relationship with ECU Health and their internal/external stakeholders
• integration with ECU Health around our shared mission, vision, values, clinical excellence expectations, and professional operations
• appropriate fiscal management
• maintenance of licensure, accreditation and other regulatory criteria
• implementation of focused business development processes
• medical staff compliance with regulatory and accreditation guidelines

• Organizes the day-to-day management and operation of the Facility through departmentalization, delegation and alignment of responsibilities to meet the facility’s patient care and operational objectives.
• Create and maintain a network of local constituency groups to include government agencies, local businesses, affiliate health providers, and the surrounding community.
• Appraises leadership team performance, both of individual members and the team, assesses competencies, and provides coaching/corrective action as appropriate under the direction of the governing body.
• Ensure participation of staff in facility/program wide in-service and continuing education programs, including those specific to the treatment of adults, seniors, adolescents, and families.
• Recruit allied health professionals and/or physicians/psychiatrists to increase the quality scope of service offerings at the facility.
• Effectively work with corporate contracting team to manage and direct contract negotiations and contract compliance with the payer community to include rate negotiations and services provided. Oversee contract relationships to include regular reporting on contract performance as well as new revenue generation and growth.
• Leads development of continuum of care to include comprehensive outpatient services and community-based programs.
• Serves as the final authority for resolution of staff performance concerns and performance improvement activities as appropriate.
• Routinely attends and as appropriate, chairs periodic meetings with the governing body, medical staff, executive management team, JV Board of Directors, and other departments of the facility.
• Abides by all company policies and procedures and operates with the highest personal integrity and professionalism.
• Remains current in all national healthcare-based initiatives through participation in such organizations as NAPHS, NABH, and the relevant state-based facility associations.
• Ensure an effective survey readiness plan is always active including a comprehensive auditing plan, corrective actions taken to address noncompliant areas, and preventative actions to maintain continuous accreditation and regulatory compliance.
• Ensure adherence to the Corporate Compliance program including timely follow-up with reported compliance issues, staff training, and proactive auditing.
• Confirm and lead accurate Governing Board reporting and quarterly calls.
• Guarantee prompt, thorough follow-up of any patient safety issues including system-issue corrections and proactive assessment of high-risk areas.
• Ensure appropriate support for QAPI activities including direct and leadership staff resources, training, and other requirements.
• Consistently demonstrate a high level of leadership skills resulting in efficient planning, development and implementation. Assist in the development of and implementation of long-range goals and annual objectives.
• Identify critical issues and maintain a deep understanding of the marketplace, customers and the broad forces that affect the organization’s future.
• Manage the performance of the organization to the budget and short- and long-term financial goals. Focus on execution.
• Support the executive team – to achieve goals and objectives that fulfill the mission and vision of the organization.

Key Responsibilities:

• Continually enhance the reputation of the organization within the community regarding mental health, addiction, treatment and recovery and broaden that community involvement.
• Earn the trust and establish credibility among the organization and facility leadership, the staff nurses, medical staff, and nursing leadership. It is essential that the Chief Executive Officer be visible and fully engaged within the hospital.
• Promote a foundation for, and a culture of diversity, equity, inclusiveness, transparency, and collaboration throughout facility and with the ECU Health partner. The end results will be high employee engagement, strong employee morale, as well as high patient, physician, and clinical staff satisfaction that are continuously improving.
• Continue to build a culture that is focused on performance improvement, quality, and service excellence as the organization strives to be the industry leader in mental health and addiction treatment.
• Further develop and refine a clear strategy such that the organization is seen as the voice for mental health, addiction, treatment, and recovery in the U.S.

Education/Certification:

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, Public Health, Marketing, Clinical Discipline, or related discipline is required. A Master's degree in health care administration, business administration, Clinical Discipline or related field is preferred.

 Knowledge and Work Experience:

• Minimum of three to five years of experience in senior leadership or CEO role in a behavioral health, acute care, and/or managed care environment. Successful new hospital or treatment program tart up experience is highly preferred.
• Demonstrates thorough knowledge of facility administration and clinical operations. Experience in turning around an organization as well as the ability to direct crisis and inpatient behavioral health services.
• Must be able to manage multiple tasks/projects simultaneously within inflexible timeframes. Ability to adapt to frequent priority changes.
• Initiative-taking and self-directed with effective communication and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work professionally with sensitive, proprietary data & information while maintaining confidentiality.
• Excellent people skills including the ability to interact effectively and professionally with individuals at all levels; both internal and external and special emphasis on the ECU Health system leaders, departments, and stakeholders.
• Self-motivated with strong organizational skills and superior attention to detail.
• Must be organized and work well under pressure while multi-tasking in a demanding environment; must be able to effectively react to emergencies.
• Knowledge of state and federal laws, rules and regulations governing mental health and addiction treatment inpatient services and related funding (CMS, Joint Commission, AHCA, DCS, HIPAA, 42 CFR). Strong knowledge of Joint Commission accreditation standards and the proven ability to lead successful licensure, accreditation, and compliance efforts in a behavioral health facility.
• Capable of working within established policies, procedures and practices prescribed by the organization.
• A transformational leader, well known and well respected, ideally with Hospital Administrator experience or in a similarly visible and effective leadership position.
• Strong financial acumen and business orientation with a working knowledge of fiscal management and business development processes.
• History of developing high-performing teams and creating followership.
• Experience working with HR to develop robust succession plans that identify, develop, and advance the next generation of leaders.
• English sufficient to provide and receive instructions/directions.

Personal Characteristics:

• Uncompromising passion for and alignment with the mission; empathy toward those who are in crisis or suffer from mental health and substance use disorders.
• An authentic, honest individual with steadfast integrity who leads with empathy, trust and transparency, balanced with an ability to be decisive and firm, holding people and teams accountable and driving toward continuous change management and improvement.
• A highly visible and inspiring leader who brings gravitas and carries themselves with humility and is a self-aware servant leader who listens and collaborates across the organization; leads with gratitude and grace.
• A visionary, innovative leader, capable of leveraging technology and advancing the organization to achieve the greatest impact toward its mission.
• An engaged leader who acts with courage and is willing and able to make complex decisions that are in the best interest of the organization.
• Exceptional communicator with high emotional intelligence and outstanding people skills.
• Promotes a culture of accountability.
• Commitment to embrace and advance Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives.
• Highly strategic with strong execution skills with the ability to direct crisis and inpatient behavioral health services.

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