Worcester Business Journal Online
Date: 4/26/16
Worcester’s Spectrum Health Systems has named Kurt Isaacson as the organization’s new president and CEO, replacing Charles “Chuck” Faris as he steps into retirement.
Isaacson, the addiction services nonprofit’s current chief operating officer, will take over for Faris in July. Faris joined the organization in 1971 and served as CEO beginning in 2000 during a period of “significant evolution,” according to a release from Spectrum. According to Spectrum, Faris was key in the company evolving from a single long-term residential program to a continuum of care that has helped tens of thousands of individuals overcome addiction. Faris will stay on in a senior adviser role to facilitate a smooth leadership transition.
Isaacson has been with the company since 2013, spearheading growth initiatives such as opening six new outpatient facilities in the last two and a half years and two new residential treatment facilities, the New England Recovery Center and the Faris Recovery Center, both in Westborough.
“As the opiate addiction epidemic continues to impact so many lives, we are committed to responding to the crisis by expanding access to treatment and providing the highest quality of care that sets individuals on the path to long-term recovery,” Isaacson said.
Prior to joining Spectrum, Isaacson served as the CEO of two psychiatric hospitals in Mississippi and Indiana, as well as the senior vice president of operations for a behavioral healthcare system in Vermont, where he planned, developed and helped implement 12 new services, according to the release.
“I’m very happy with the board’s decision, and I’m confident Kurt will ensure that Spectrum continues to be at the forefront of substance abuse and mental health treatment,” Faris said in a statement. “I look forward to remaining actively engaged with Spectrum, its partners and its clients, and supporting Kurt in his new role.”
