Chief Executive Officer

Facility: 150 Beds

 

A well-established behavioral health hospital in the Greater St. Louis Area is looking for a CEO to take full ownership of its operations, people, and strategic direction. This is a top-of-house role with direct governing body reporting, a $200,000–$235,000 base salary range, bonus eligibility, and relocation assistance for the right candidate.

The organization is part of a national behavioral health system, which means infrastructure, resources, and a clear strategic framework — without sacrificing the autonomy that makes a facility-level CEO role meaningful. You will have direct influence over financial performance, culture, care quality, and growth trajectory.

 

As CEO, you carry full executive responsibility for the hospital. That means day-to-day operations, team leadership, financial performance, regulatory and accreditation compliance, and community and payer relationships. You will also lead the development of a continuum of care that extends the hospital's reach into outpatient and community-based programs.

 

- Partnering with the governing body on annual operating and capital budgets and strategic planning
- Managing performance across patient outcomes, fiscal results, regulatory compliance, and business development
- Recruiting allied health professionals and psychiatrists to expand service offerings
- Directing payer contract negotiations and managing commercial payer relationships
- Building relationships with government agencies, community organizations, and affiliate providers
- Leading survey readiness and maintaining accreditation standards
- Overseeing QAPI activities and patient safety systems
- Developing and retaining a high-performing leadership team

 

- Bachelor's degree required (Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, Public Health, or related field); MBA or MHA preferred
- Minimum 3–5 years of senior leadership or CEO experience in a behavioral health, acute care, or managed care setting
- Demonstrated ability to lead licensure, accreditation, and compliance efforts in a behavioral health environment
- Strong financial management background with working knowledge of business development
- Experience with JCAHO survey preparation and regulatory compliance
- Track record of talent recruitment, retention, and team development
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills across all organizational levels

 

The Greater St. Louis Area sits at the confluence of two of the country's great rivers, which sets the tone for a region that moves at a pace most coastal markets don't. You get a genuine urban core — world-class museums, a robust food and arts scene, professional sports — alongside easy access to the rolling Missouri River corridor and the kind of outdoor space that doesn't require a flight to reach. The area consistently ranks among the most affordable major metros in the country, which means a compensation package at this level goes considerably further than it would in comparable markets. For candidates with families, the region has strong school options, short commutes by national standards, and a community culture that tends to hold people longer than they expected when they first arrived.

 

This is a standalone behavioral health hospital — inpatient-focused with a growing outpatient footprint — operating under the umbrella of a national behavioral health system. The national platform provides operational infrastructure, compliance resources, and strategic support, while the local CEO retains meaningful authority over the facility's direction and culture. The organization serves children, adolescents, adults, and families across a range of behavioral health conditions.