Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA) and The Canadian Mental Health Association Lambton Kent (CMHA Lambton Kent) have announced that Alan Stevenson, CEO of CMHA Lambton Kent will join the senior leadership team at CKHA in the role of vice president, mental health and addictions on August 1, 2020.
“CKHA and CMHA Lambton Kent have a long history of collaboration,” stated Lori Marshall, president and CEO at CKHA, in a media release.
“As we move forward in our local health system, we need to bring our partners closer together, building on our collective wisdom to improve care for patients and families as they access services both in the community and at both sites of the hospital.”
Stevenson said mental health and addictions services and programs are already very well established in Chatham-Kent.
“When we began to explore this idea of collaboration we recognized very quickly that we had a unique opportunity here to further improve care for patients throughout the health care system,” he said in a press release.
Stevenson will continue in his role as CEO with CMHA Lambton Kent, hospital officials say.
This unique arrangement will provide both organizations with the ability to make decisions about mental health and addictions care in tandem.
The outcome will provide patients and their families with a stronger network of programs and services and will also result in a more efficient alignment of health care resources, CKHA officials added.
The relationship also brings greater focus to the mental health and wellness of staff and physicians.
“After years of working together in our respective organizations, I am excited to welcome Alan to our CKHA team,” Marshall said.
“I am confident that we will achieve innovative improvements in care together.”
Stevenson began his professional career as a front line community mental health worker.
Hospital officials say he has dedicated his career to improving the lives of people with mental health challenges through advancing the quality of mental health care and supports.
Throughout his career, he has been recognized as an innovative health care leader and a champion of collaboration.
Stevenson holds both bachelors and masters degrees in social work from the University of Windsor, and a masters certificate in health care leadership from York University, Schulich School of Business executive development program.
