Media Contact:
Patricia Brandt
PR/Communications Manager
Huntsman Mental Health Institute
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Email: Patricia.Brandt@hsc.utah.edu
Salt Lake City, Utah 鈥 Today we announce W. Brett Graham, MBA, MPA, has been appointed interim CEO for Huntsman Mental Health Institute, and James C. Ashworth, MD, has been appointed interim chair for the Department of Psychiatry, at the University of Utah, effective immediately. Graham and Dr. Ashworth will succeed Mark Hyman Rapaport, MD, who has been appointed founding CEO Emeritus, Huntsman Mental Health Institute.
In addition to his experience leading and coordinating the University of Utah鈥檚 Impact 2030 Strategy and Operational Excellence Initiative as Chief Strategy Officer, Graham brings a wealth of experience in the health care industry. He was a founding partner at Leavitt Partners and worked to advance value-driven health care by bringing together state, federal, and industry leaders. He served as COO within Meritain Health and Vice President at Ingenix, part of UnitedHealth Group.
His family has a deep commitment to mental health and advocacy for access to care, and he served on the board of directors at Valley Behavioral Health from 2018 to 2020. Graham earned his MBA from the Harvard Business School, an MPA from the University of Utah, and has completed graduate studies in higher education leadership at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education.
As interim CEO, Graham will oversee Huntsman Mental Health Institute, working to continue the mission of research, community engagement, clinical care, and educational innovations in mental health. He will collaborate across the system with U of U Health leadership team to build strategic plans for the institute, advance its transformation to an integrated and value-driven organization, and increase relevant research in mental health. Graham will continue to be involved with the university鈥檚 Operational Excellence initiative and impact 2030 strategy.
James C. Ashworth, MD, currently serves as Medical Director of Psychiatric Services, Executive Vice Chair, and Vice Chair of Clinical Services at Huntsman Mental Health Institute. He is also an Associate Professor (Clinical) in the Department of Psychiatry.
Dr. Ashworth is a graduate of the University of Utah School of Medicine. He is certified in both adult and child and adolescent psychiatry and began working at 麻豆学生精品版 in 1999. He has been active in the mental health community and currently serves on the Utah State Behavioral Health Commission.
Ashworth was previously Interim Chair of the Department of Psychiatry from 2019 to 2021, during which the transformative gift of $150 million was made by the Huntsman family to establish Huntsman Mental Health Institute.
Over the past four years, Mark Hyman Rapaport, MD, helped define and shape the vision for Huntsman Mental Health Institute. His tenure led to many significant achievements for the university, including funding and construction for the Kem and Carolyn Gardner Mental Health Crisis Care Center; funding and construction for the Utah Mental Health Translational Research Building; a partnership with the Ad Council for a national 鈥淟ove, Your Mind鈥 anti-stigma public awareness campaign; the creation of the Stop Stigma Together movement; the Utah School Mental Health Collaborative with the School of Education; the West High School clinic with the Department of Pediatrics; developing a K-12 brain health curriculum; music and mental health partnerships with AMAR and the Utah Symphony Orchestra; and the marked expansion of the institute鈥檚 mental health clinical services. Dr. Rapaport will transition to a sabbatical and remain the William H. and Edna D. Stimson Presidential Endowed Chair and Professor of Psychiatry.
The institute thanks Mark Rapaport for his years of service, and supports Brett Graham and James Ashworth as they take on these new leadership roles.
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About Huntsman Mental Health Institute
Huntsman Mental Health Institute at the University of Utah is a first-of-its-kind model created to address one of our nation鈥檚 greatest challenges: mental health and substance use disorders. The institute combines the strength of one of America's leading research universities with the nation鈥檚 best integrated mental health crisis care model and a comprehensive continuum of care that includes a 161-bed hospital and more than 85 outpatient locations. We educate hundreds of learners every year and provide both unique and wide-ranging educational opportunities in psychiatry and mental health. Our innovative approach to research uses 鈥渢eams of teams鈥 to bring together different disciplines to uncover new ways to tackle complex problems. A gift of $150 million from the Huntsman family helps power our mission to advance mental health knowledge, hope and healing for all.
Learn more at hmhi.utah.edu and join the conversation on , , , , and .