When Acadia Healthcare appointed Dr. Patrice A. Harris to its board in October 2023, the company gained direct access to expertise in addressing the nation’s substance use disorder crisis. Harris chaired the American Medical Association’s Opioid Task Force from 2014 through 2021, leading policy initiatives during years when overdose deaths reached historic levels.
Her task force work focused on removing barriers to medication-assisted treatment, improving access to non-opioid pain management options, and reducing stigma surrounding substance use disorders. These priorities align directly with operations at Acadia Healthcare’s 164 comprehensive treatment centers, which provide medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder across 33 states. The facilities serve more than 72,000 patients daily through outpatient opioid treatment programs.
Approximately 59 million U.S. adults had mental illness in 2023, with substance use disorders frequently co-occurring alongside psychiatric conditions. Harris’s clinical background as a board-certified psychiatrist provides understanding of integrated treatment approaches for patients with multiple diagnoses. Her public health experience includes overseeing behavioral health programs for Fulton County, Georgia, where she managed services addressing both mental health and substance abuse needs.
The AMA presidency position Harris held from 2019 to 2020 involved advocacy work on controlled substance prescribing regulations and telehealth flexibility for addiction treatment. These policy areas remain active as states implement varying approaches to expanding treatment access. The 2024 behavioral health policy environment includes ongoing debates about methadone dispensing regulations and telemedicine controlled substance prescribing rules.
Acadia Healthcare’s growth strategy includes acquiring and opening comprehensive treatment centers in underserved markets. Harris’s expertise in identifying treatment gaps and developing service delivery models comes from administrative experience managing county health departments alongside clinical practice. Her work integrating behavioral health services with primary care systems addresses a challenge many large healthcare networks face.
Board governance at behavioral health companies requires understanding both clinical standards and operational realities of running treatment facilities. Harris brings 25-year career spanning private practice, public health administration, and medical association leadership, offering perspective on challenges facing providers attempting to expand access while maintaining care standards.