Job Locations US-TN-Nashville

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Ascension Saint Thomas Behavioral Health Hospital
Nashville, Tennessee

We are seeking an experienced and visionary Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead Ascension Saint Thomas Behavioral Health Hospital—a newly built, 90-bed inpatient facility in the heart of Nashville. This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of a flagship hospital created through a powerful partnership between Ascension Saint Thomas, one of Tennessee’s most trusted not-for-profit health systems, and Acadia Healthcare, the nation’s largest standalone behavioral health provider.

Located just minutes from downtown in Nashville’s MetroCenter, the hospital offers a full continuum of inpatient and outpatient services for adults and seniors—including acute psychiatric care, PHP, IOP, MAT, residential treatment, and ECT. This role is ideal for a mission-driven leader ready to make a lasting impact on behavioral healthcare in Middle Tennessee.

What We Offer:

At Ascension Saint Thomas Behavioral Health Hospital, we invest in our leadership with a comprehensive benefits package and opportunities for long-term success:

• Competitive compensation package with a performance-based bonus plan
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance tailored to executive needs
• Acadia Healthcare 401(k) plan with company match
• Equity/stock-based incentive awards, offering long-term financial growth
• Generous paid time off including vacation, sick leave, holidays, and personal days
• Executive-level training and onboarding with access to Acadia’s national resources
• Career advancement opportunities within Acadia’s extensive network of 250+ behavioral health facilities

Who We’re Looking For:

We are seeking a mission-aligned, strategic operator who can:

• Lead all aspects of hospital operations, ensuring high-quality care, regulatory compliance, and financial sustainability
• Build and inspire a strong multidisciplinary team, fostering a culture of accountability, compassion, and service excellence
• Collaborate with both Ascension Saint Thomas and Acadia leadership to align hospital goals with regional and national behavioral health initiatives
• Represent the hospital in the community, cultivating trust and partnerships with local stakeholders, providers, and referral sources

Candidates should have prior executive leadership experience in a behavioral health or acute care hospital setting, a strong grasp of healthcare operations and regulatory environments, and a passion for expanding access to life-changing behavioral health services.

Job Duties/Responsibilities:

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
• 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 business 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 psychiatrists to increase the scope of service offerings at the facility.
• Effectively work with corporate contracting team to manage and direct contract negotiations and contract compliance with the commercial 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, 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 and the relevant state-based facility association.
• 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. Practice financial acumen in managing budgets and census.
• 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 new Chief Executive Officer be visible within the hospital.
• Ensure the facility is financially sound and has a positive operating margin.
• Increase both the occupancy and payor mix as well as increase customer satisfaction.
• Shift the culture toward innovation, advancing opportunities for revenue diversification and virtual programs and services.
• Promote a foundation for, and a culture of diversity, equity, inclusiveness, transparency, and collaboration throughout facility. 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 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.
• 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.
• 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 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 a mental health and substance use disorder.
• 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 change.
• Visible, inspiring leader who brings gravitas and one who 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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