New Leaders Named for Betty Ford Center

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif., June 12, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Jim Steinhagen today was named Vice President and Administrator in charge of the Betty Ford Center, and Steve Eickelberg, M.D., was appointed Medical Director of the Center.

"The Betty Ford Center has been a special place since it opened in 1982, providing a beacon of hope and a practical solution to thousands of people suffering from addiction to alcohol and other drugs," said Mark Mishek, President and CEO of the newly merged Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, who announced the hires after an extensive nationwide search. "It deserves the very best leaders who can continue and build upon the great legacy left by our former First Lady, who sought to 'help others live their best possible life.'"

"Jim and Steve each have the clinical and business backgrounds to ensure the Betty Ford Center provides another generation of patients with the very best chance for lifelong recovery," continued Mishek, who had been leading the day-to-day Betty Ford Center operations since the merger was finalized in February. 

"The Betty Ford Center is a major hub in our national system of care, where patients can expect the best evidence-based, clinically proven treatment services, and these two proven leaders will ensure we will continue to be recognized around the globe for our commitment to patient care and treatment that works," said Mishek. 

Steinhagen, who most recently was Vice President of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation's Youth Continuum, has over three decades of experience in the field of addiction treatment, serving in various roles with diverse populations and challenges.

"Jim shepherded a significant expansion and improvement of services at our youth facility in Plymouth, Minn., and weaved together all of our youth initiatives into one cohesive continuum," said Mishek. "Jim is the perfect person to lead our plans in the Southwest, which include expansion of outpatient services in the Southern California marketplace and expansion of our excellent clinical offerings and innovative programs for medical professionals, pain patients and others."

Prior to joining Hazelden in 2000, Steinhagen spent many years at St. Mary's Hospital in Minneapolis, which eventually became part of the Fairview Hospital system. While there, he worked as a chemical dependency counselor and then became manager of outpatient services and director of adolescent services. He also lived in Sweden and Denmark for five years, where he ran his own company providing expert consulting services to numerous addiction treatment providers. He holds a master's degree in Health and Human Services Administration.

Dr. Eickelberg, the new medical director, specializes in addiction-related psychiatric and psychotherapy services. He most recently led a private practice in Paradise Valley, Ariz., serving individuals, couples, families and family businesses, health professionals, airline pilots and professional athletes. He earned his medical degree at the University of Oregon and interned in surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He also held residencies at the Massachusetts General Hospital and the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center.

In addition, Dr. Eickelberg has been trained in several advanced psychiatric specialties, holds a number of board certifications and has been recognized as a Fellow by the American Psychiatric Association and the American Society of Addiction Medicine.

Over the past 30 years, he has worked in a wide variety of clinical and educational settings, including Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Kaiser Permanente, Good Samaritan and Major League Baseball. He has worked extensively on developing addiction treatment programs for aviation professionals, and has written numerous professional articles for publication.

"Steve is truly one of our industry's best and brightest medical and clinical professionals, and we are fortunate to have him on the team," said Mishek. "He will enable us to continue to provide excellent care and usher in the additional changes we have coming, like expanding our specialty treatment tracks to help more people."

"Jim and Steve both have a proven track record of commitment to the Twelve Step fellowship and our abstinence-based clinical model, as well as to overcoming the stigma of addiction and promoting a strong culture based on integrity, dignity and respect," said Mishek. "It is gratifying to know the best is yet to come for the Betty Ford Center and our entire organization."

About the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation
The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation helps people reclaim their lives from the disease of addiction. It is the nation's largest nonprofit treatment provider, with a legacy that began in 1949 and includes the 1982 founding of the Betty Ford Center. With 15 sites in California, Minnesota, Oregon, Illinois, New York, Florida, Massachusetts, Colorado and Texas, the Foundation offers prevention and recovery solutions nationwide and across the entire continuum of care for youth and adults. It includes the largest recovery publishing house in the country, a fully-accredited graduate school of addiction studies, an addiction research center, an education arm for medical professionals and a unique children's program, and is the nation's leader in advocacy and policy for treatment and recovery. Learn more at www.hazeldenbettyford.org.

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SOURCE Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation