The Recovery Executive Podcast

Building a center the right way is extremely profitable, but takes much longer than people assume. How do you have the patience to build a strong foundation that drives quality clinical care, community engagement, and profitability all at the same time? Zach Snitzer, Co-Founder of Maryland Addiction Recovery Center, and I did into some of these issues on this episode of The Recovery Executive Podc...

A poor admission phone rep can convert multimedia inquiries at 1% or less. A good one can convert 10% or higher. That's a potential 10X difference in admissions! I speak with James Hadlock, owner of BluNovus, where we talk about how empathy and compassion on the phone can 10X your admissions on any quality of calls.

Most EMRs are just emulations of the old paper filing systems, but they can be so much more. I speak with Matt Stevens, CEO of Alleva, who has reinvented the EMR. We talk about what treatment centers need to know to make a switch from paper to digital, some pitfalls to avoid (especially around avoiding HIPAA fines), and some interesting opportunities happening in the field related to telehealth ne...

Two industry titans talk SEO, Adwords, Digital Marketing, and Winning Strategies for long-term growth. Dan Gemp, CEO of Dreamscape Marketing joins me on the episode to not just talk general strategy, but get into some of the industry benchmarks you need to know as well as common mistakes to avoid. If you're census is hurting, you don't want to miss this episode.

Billing & Revenue Cycle Management are one of the biggest thorns in the side of treatment centers. It's difficult, expensive, and, very hard to know if staff or vendors are doing it right. In this episode, we talk with Gregory Keilin, CEO of Prosperity Behavioral Health on some of the most common ways billing companies don't necessarily work in your best interest, what you should be looking for, a...

Up to 25% of centers have closed in South Florida, Southern California, and other highly competitive areas of the country. Lyle Fried was the owner of The Shores, a well-known treatment center in Florida that just closed last month. He shares his insights into why they closed and what he would have done differently if he could do it all over again, critical information for any centers facing a sim...

Foundations Recovery Network went from 20,000 calls a month and a low census to 10,000 calls a month and significant climbs in census. Most centers are thinking about admissions, business development, and marketing wrong in the addiction treatment field. In this episode, Kathy Frossard and I talk about how to rethink and integrate these departments to deliver serious results.

The Ammon Foundation is probably one of the first philanthropic organizations springing from the addiction treatment field to focus on grants in recovery rather than scholarships for treatment. We explore how philanthropic activity ties into reducing stigma, providing value, and growing the business wing.

Addiction Unplugged is a new show highlighting recovery and fighting stigma. The show features a unique center in every episode. Stu and I talk about the value of such a show and how TV spots like this can and should be used from a marketing perspective.

When you've personally made over a billion dollars in healthcare and have seen the devastation addiction can wreak on your extended family and community, you decide to do something about it. That's the story of Bryan Cressey, who I interview live at his office in Chicago. With decades of experience helping healthcare organizations grow, he also has the ability to see what is and isn't working in t...

Our field needs strong leadership. We need visionaries who see the future and are able to make the hard choices in these rapidly changing times. In this episode, I speak with the Co-Founder of Phoenix Rising on what's lacking in the field today, what we need to see instead, and how following those guidelines has helped him build his own center. If you're looking for some hard-hitting perspectives...

80% of all treatment centers follow a 12-step philosophy. While this approach has helped so very many people, there are those it doesn't work for. As we know, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to treatment. And there is a large hunger within the marketplace for alternative programming, which is why programs that provide alternatives to 12-step attract an untapped market. In this episode, I sp...

You may be surprised to hear that one of the best treatment centers in the country is a small non-profit catering to mostly homeless and low-income populations in downtown Chicago. Above & Beyond is only 2 years old, so many people have not heard of them, but they are doing phenomenal work, as I can personally attest to. I'm super excited to share my interview with Dan and help you learn more abou...

Alumni engagement is becoming ever more critical both for successful, long-term treatment outcomes, and for the health of the center. I speak with Parker Polidor, Co-Founder of CaredFor, about how alumni engagement is a whole team effort and the value it brings to patients and staff alike.

In the increasingly crowded and competitive addiction treatment space, differentiation is key for success. In this episode we talk with Recovery Unplugged's VP of Business Development, Dr. Barry Reiman to share insights into how their unique focus on music drives both outreach and internal clinical programs.

One of the cheapest and easiest strategies to build referrals and drive admissions is that of hosting CEU events. Surprisingly, it's also one of the most underutilized. In this episode David Houke of Austin Recovery gives us a step by step walk-through of exactly how to set these up at your center. You'll be amazed at how easy it is and wonder why you aren't already hosting them.

Business Development has hit a wall with reps bringing in a third the number of referrals that they used to. One reason for this is that they move around too much and enough time isn't invested to drive results. In this episode, we talk with Elisa Saunders who has experience at both Acadia and Foundations. She gives insights into why reps stay or go and we also discuss strategies to ensure success...

What does it take to run a nation-wide treatment center operation? What are key factors for growth and success? What metrics do you need to keep your finger on as a CEO? Drew Rothermel has worked at the C-suite level for both Caron and Origin Treatment Centers, and is now CEO of Liberation Way. He has a vast knowledge of running large scale operations and answers many of these questions for us in...

Telemedicine is the next big disruption in the field of addiction treatment and behavioral health. Either centers will learn how to incorporate it into their own program, or it will likely put them out of business. Richard Capezzali has been in the field of lead generation and addiction treatment for years, having build and sold numerous companies. He now turns his attention to telemedicine in the...

Industry veteran and Founder of both Lifeway International and Cates Academy, John Cates, talks with us about the power of alternative peer groups. Treatment outcomes are as much as 3 times better when APGs are used. In this episode, we talk about how APGs can be used not only to improve treatment outcomes, but also successfully grow and expand your program.

The differences in responsibilities and focus for clinicians versus senior executives can be large, intimidating, and challenging to navigate. Robin Piper, CEO of Turning Point of Tampa, shares with us her journey from clinician to CEO, and gives advice for those looking to make the same move. She also shares ideas and strategies to ensure strong collaboration between clinical and businesses focus...

A lot of owners, execs, and directors find it very hard to leave their center and attend an industry conference, but the rewards for doing so are tremendous. In this episode, we connect with Dee McGraw, Director of Education and Event Services for C4 Recovery, which runs the famous West Coast Symposium. We look at why conference attendance is so important and how to make the best out of any you go...

Call center operations and staffing is probably the biggest gap most centers have in their admissions process. Without an efficiently run and staffed call center, the majority of inquiries, and therefore potential patients, is lost. In this episode, Char Musillo talks about his experience building call centers for programs big and small. If your census has taken a hit lately, you do not want to mi...

Alumni engagement is critical not just for success in long-term recovery, but also for a treatment center's bottom line. It's an area that few centers do well, but a huge opportunity for low cost returns when done right. In this episode, I speak with James Crater, CEO of Spera Health and an expert in alumni engagement.

Going from a single-person private practice to a center owner will many employees is a huge challenge. In this episode, we talk with Karen Peabody, owner of Forgewell Solutions, about her journey from solo therapist to owner. We also have a thorough discussion around insurance reimbursement and how to ensure you are getting the most for your patients and your center.