Mary Lou Mastro to Lead AHA's Section for Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Services Council

WASHINGTON (January 10, 2018) – Today, the American Hospital Association (AHA) announced that Mary Lou Mastro, MS, RN, FACHE, System CEO of Edward-Elmhurst Health in Naperville, Illinois, is the 2018 Council chair of the AHA’s Constituency Section for Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Services. The Council represents 1,660 behavioral health providers across the country. During her one-year term as chair, Mastro and the 18-person council will work with the AHA to identify ways to define and focus AHA policy, advocacy and member resources to improve the quality, efficiency and delivery of psychiatric and substance abuse services.

With more than 35 years working in healthcare, Mastro has extensive experience in hospital strategy, operations, planning, licensure and regulatory compliance, public policy and advocacy, physician relations, new business development and, as a nurse, patient care. Mastro served as President & CEO of Elmhurst Hospital from 2013 – 2016 and during her tenure, Elmhurst was named to the Becker’s Hospital Review list of “100 Great Community Hospitals” in 2014.

Prior to joining Elmhurst Hospital and since 2002, Mastro was CEO of Linden Oaks at Edward, a 108-bed behavioral health hospital on Edward Hospital’s Naperville campus, with a 45,000-square foot Outpatient Center at another location in Naperville and outpatient offices throughout Chicago’s west and southwest suburbs. She was also Vice President, Architectural and Construction Services for Edward. While at Linden Oaks, Mastro advocated for increased community awareness of mental illness and led Linden Oaks’ effort to develop Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) in the region. At a National Conference on Mental Health held at the White House in 2013, Linden Oaks, due to its MHFA work, was cited by the AHA as one of the nation’s community and psychiatric hospitals that have established programs to address the behavioral health needs in their community.

Mastro is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives. Among Mastro’s many honors, she received the Rotary Club of Naperville’s prestigious Paul Harris Community Service Award in 2014 for her efforts in advocating awareness through MHFA and transforming Linden Oaks into a regional resource for mental healthcare. Mastro earned her BSN from DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana and an MS from Rush University in Chicago. She is married with three children.

Joseph A. Miller, Ph.D., FACHE, Vice-President, Behavioral Health Care Transformation Services, Hackensack Meridian Health, and Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Rutgers University, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, New Jersey, is the chair-elect and will assume the role of chair in 2019. Miller is also Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health, Seton Hall-Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine.

Ann Schumacher, President, CHI Health Immanuel in Omaha, Nebraska, is the immediate past-chair.

New council members are: Nicole Gange, LCPC, President, Umass Memorial-Community Healthlink in Worcester, Massachusetts; Ellen Williams, Ph.D., Administrator, Behavioral Health, Baptist Health Jacksonville in Jacksonville; Denise S. Dugas, Executive Director MBH Division, Our Lady of the Lake RMC in Baton Rouge; Tammy Gavin, RN, FACHE, Chief Clinical Officer, White River Medical Center in Batesville, Arkansas; and Arpan Waghray, M.D., Geriatric Psychiatrist, Swedish System Director & Medical Director Telepsychiatry, Swedish Medical Center Cherry Hill in Seattle.

Returning council members are: Gene E. Green, M.D., President and CEO, South Shore Health & Educational Corporation in South Weymouth, Massachusetts; Cindy Meyer, COO, behavioral health services, The Medical Center of Aurora & HealthONE in Aurora, Colorado; Raymond A. Waller, Director/President, MIDET Brighton Hospital in Brighton, Michigan; John Eiler, Ph.D., Administrative Director, Barnes-Jewish Hospital Psychiatric Support Center in St. Louis; Jerry Gold, Ph.D., M.B.A., Administrator, behavioral health and care line, Scripps Health in San Diego; Cynthia A. Persily, Ph.D., CEO, Highland Hospital, Highland Behavioral Health Services, Inc., Highland Health Center, Inc. in Charleston, West Virginia; John Santopietro, M.D., DFAPA, President and Medical Director, Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan, Connecticut; Mary Beth Skupien, Ph.D., VHA-CM, Director, VA Medical Center in Battle Creek, Michigan; Richard Wohl, President, Princeton House Behavioral Health/Senior Vice President, Princeton HealthCare System in Princeton, New Jersey; and Scott York, M.H.A., Vice President, behavioral health services, Community Health Systems in Franklin, Tennessee. Annetta K. Caplinger, VP, Clinical Operations, Institute of Living/Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut serves as the liaison from the AHA Board of Trustees.

Contact:          Marie Johnson, (202) 626-2351

                       Colin Milligan, (202) 638-5491

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About the AHA

The AHA is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the health improvement of their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, which include nearly 5,000 hospitals, health care systems, networks, other providers of care and 43,000 individual members. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. For more information, visit the AHA website at www.aha.org.