Since his appointment in April 2022, Chris Hunter, Acadia Healthcare has led the largest stand-alone behavioral health company in the United States through an ambitious growth and remediation agenda. The company now operates approximately 260 locations across 40 states and Puerto Rico, with roughly 23,000 employees serving more than 75,000 patients daily across four service lines.

Hunter arrived with more than two decades of healthcare leadership experience, including senior roles at Humana, TriZetto and BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. His tenure at Humana included responsibility for a $7 billion business serving nearly 20 million members and oversight of corporate strategy, mergers and acquisitions. He holds a bachelor’s degree with highest honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Under Hunter’s direction, Acadia pursued an aggressive expansion of bed capacity, adding 1,300 beds in 2024 and constructing another 1,200. Management disclosed that startup costs for new facilities will rise sharply in 2025 as beds come online, with capital expenditures for expansion in the $550 million to $595 million range. Executives project that as bed ramping completes in 2026, EBITDA and free cash flow will improve, enabling a moderated, more opportunistic pace of future growth. Hunter has set a corporate objective to double revenue by 2028 and is emphasizing joint ventures and partnerships as key levers.

The company’s recent financial profile shows $3.1 billion in revenue in the first nine months of 2024, with payor mix dominated by Medicaid at 57 percent, followed by commercial insurance at 26 percent and Medicare at 14 percent. Management says quality initiatives and external validations remain central to operational priorities.

Acadia has also faced intense regulatory and public scrutiny. Investigations and reporting by federal authorities and media outlets have questioned practices in the residential treatment and outpatient segments, and the Department of Justice has sought information about billing and admissions. The company reports ongoing cooperation with federal inquiries and has retained board-level oversight during the transition in leadership.

As Acadia navigates expansion, regulatory review and a focus on quality, Hunter’s experience in scaling healthcare businesses will be critical to the company’s ability to convert recent investments into sustainable financial and clinical outcomes.

Source: https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/potmsearch/detail/submission/6553807/Chris_Hunter