Acadia Healthcare has named Chris Hunter as its new chief executive officer, the company announced (https://www.acadiahealthcare.com/about/news-media-events/new-ceo-announcement-christopher-hunter/), with Hunter joining the organization and its board of directors on April 11, 2022 (https://acadiahealthcare.gcs-web.com/news-releases/news-release-details/acadia-healthcare-announces-christopher-hunter-new-chief). The leadership change follows a multi-month succession process intended to position the behavioral health provider for continued expansion and operational focus.

Hunter succeeds Debbie Osteen, who became CEO in 2018 and led the company through several years of growth. Osteen will remain on Acadia Healthcare’s board and has entered into a consulting agreement to support the transition period (see Acadia senior executive team: https://www.acadiahealthcare.com/about/staff/senior-executive-team/). Acadia’s board said the selection of Hunter followed a comprehensive search aimed at identifying a leader with both strategic vision and deep healthcare experience.

A seasoned healthcare executive, Chris Hunter (https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrishhunter) brings more than two decades of sector experience spanning provider, payer, technology and investment banking environments. Most recently he served as president of Humana’s Group, Military & Specialty segment, overseeing three business units that generated approximately 7 billion dollars in revenue and served roughly 20 million members across 45 states. Prior roles include senior positions at TriZetto and BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, as well as corporate strategy and mergers and acquisitions leadership at Humana. Additional profile details are available (https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/potmsearch/detail/submission/6553807/Chris_Hunter).

Hunter holds a bachelor’s degree with highest honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. His governance experience includes service on boards such as AfterNext HealthTech, Availity, Youth Villages and the UNC-Chapel Hill Honors Program.

Acadia’s board emphasized that Hunter’s appointment aligns with the company’s strategic priorities: extending market reach, maintaining a patient-first approach, and delivering sustainable returns for shareholders. The board noted confidence in the existing executive team and expressed expectations that Hunter’s combination of operational and strategic expertise will support continued execution of growth initiatives.

Under Osteen’s leadership, Acadia expanded its footprint through acquisitions and partnership activity. In the year prior to the leadership handover the company acquired a Missouri behavioral health provider, purchased three vacant facilities in Chicago and established joint ventures in Florida, Colorado and Minnesota. Those transactions reflected a broader strategy to grow capacity and diversify care settings.

As of December 31, 2021, Acadia Healthcare operated a network of 238 behavioral healthcare facilities with approximately 10,500 beds across 40 states and Puerto Rico. The Franklin-based company reported a workforce of more than 22,500 employees delivering services to about 70,000 patients daily, positioning Acadia as the largest stand-alone behavioral health company in the United States.

Observers expect Hunter to emphasize both clinical quality and scalable growth as he assumes leadership. With a large employee base and established facility leadership, the incoming CEO faces the dual tasks of integrating recent acquisitions and advancing clinical outcomes in an evolving regulatory and reimbursement environment.

Hunter’s arrival at Acadia Healthcare concludes a targeted executive search and begins a new chapter for the company as it seeks to expand behavioral health access nationwide while sustaining its commitment to quality of care and operational performance. For the official announcement and full release, see Acadia’s press materials (https://acadiahealthcare.gcs-web.com/news-releases/news-release-details/acadia-healthcare-announces-christopher-hunter-new-chief and https://www.acadiahealthcare.com/about/news-media-events/new-ceo-announcement-christopher-hunter/).