Plano-based Oceans Healthcare has added Harvard Medical School psychiatry professor Dr. Michael Jellinek and decorated public health executive Dr. Courtney Phillips to its board of directors.

The company said the additions underscore the growing behavioral health organization’s commitment to advancing healing and long-term recovery through patient-centered behavioral healthcare.

“Our nation’s behavioral health crisis demands leaders with a breadth of knowledge and unwavering compassion,” Oceans Healthcare CEO Stuart Archer said in a statement. “On behalf of our more than 2,600 professionals and the thousands of patients for whom we care, I’m grateful to Dr. Jellinek and Dr. Phillips for their willingness to serve as we work to advance clinical excellence and drive positive change.”

Finding staff and fighting stigma

Jellinek is a practicing psychiatrist, professor of psychiatry, and of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, adjunct professor of social policy and healthcare at the Heller School at Brandies University, and former chief of child psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital.

He has more than 40 years of experience in child and adult psychiatry and rejoins the board after a previous term. He has held C-suite and senior level administrative roles with Massachusetts General Hospital, Newton Wellesley Hospital, Partners HealthCare and Lahey Health System. In those roles, he led financial turnarounds and oversaw increases in patient satisfaction, growth in clinical revenues, and implementation of electronic medical record systems and population health initiatives, Oceans said.

“The major challenges in our industry are finding high-quality staff and addressing the stigma associated with mental illness that often prevents adequate treatment,” Jellinek said in a statement. “I am impressed by Oceans’ emphasis on addressing these issues, as well as the true desire to improve quality — every single day. I look forward to joining senior leaders as the organization progresses to ensure we’re putting the patient front and center of all decisions.”

Public health leadership

Most recently, Phillips was secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and led the agency through the COVID-19 pandemic and coordination of state, local and private-sector health care providers. Previously, she served as executive commissioner of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and as CEO of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

She began her career in Louisiana government, spending 15 years holding roles of progressing responsibility at multiple agencies. Oceans said her knowledge of government-funded health care programs and record of implementing impactful policies will be invaluable as it continues to fight for alignment of access to care and funding.

“Effective communication, alongside advocating for legislation that supports patients and health care providers, is crucial in informing stakeholders about the intricate nature and continuum of behavioral health services,” Phillips said in a statement. “Recognizing the uniqueness of each community and firsthand understanding of their challenges enables collaborative efforts to identify solutions that maximize benefits for communities and the patients they serve.”

300% growth in last decade

Oceans provides inpatient and outpatient treatment in 36 locations, including 25 hospital campuses across the Southeast.

Last year, Oceans said it consistently surpassed the national average quality scores as determined by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid on several measurements.

It said that via acquisitions, high-profile joint ventures, new facility development and the addition of new services, Oceans has grown 300% since 2014.

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