Passing The Torch: CEO Transition At Green Hill

The following was adapted from an email sent from Tripp Johnson to the Green Hill team regarding his transition out of the CEO role.

Green Hill Team,

I am incredibly excited to announce a long-coming transition. This is the last time I’ll be sending a message as the CEO of Green Hill Recovery; I’m passing the torch to our long-time Executive Director, Nick Slovak. For the past three-plus years Nick and I have worked closely to make Green Hill a world-class treatment program. Before discussing why I’m so excited about Green Hill’s future, I’d like to take some time to reflect on what we’ve accomplished.

Reflecting on our Accomplishments

When Green Hill was founded, we had three transitional living beds and were operating out of an Airbnb; today, Green Hill is a nationally recognized transitional living program and has a strong presence in the local community through our outpatient program. Last year, we served over 120 clients and their families – compared to 15 four years ago.

We’ve grown from a rag-tag group of five to a cohesive team of twenty-five values-based, mission-driven individuals. Not to mention, we’ve thrived as an organization throughout a global pandemic.

We’ve earned Joint Commission accreditation for both our clinical and sober living operations, we’ve made quality treatment more accessible through insurance contracts, and we’ve grown from a rag-tag group of five to a cohesive team of twenty-five values-based, mission-driven individuals. Not to mention, we’ve thrived as an organization throughout a global pandemic. As the healthcare system deals with “The Great Resignation”, we’ve only added top-notch clinicians to our ranks. Needless to say, it’s been a hell of a ride.

Growth: Change is the only Constant. We Improve Daily.

Our accomplishments followed from the team’s commitment to Green Hill’s core values: living centered, accountability, transparency, unity, and growth. So it should follow that my decision to transition out of the CEO role comes from a thorough analysis through the lens of our values. I frequently come back to a quote in Jim Collins’ book, B.E. 2.0:

Do you have too many great young and talented leaders, too many ambitious and capable and driven people? If you create this ‘problem’ for your company, you’ll be forced to go for the next big dream; otherwise, the best ones will go find something else to do.

Green Hill has a lot of ambitious, driven leaders. To honor their growth and allow them to flourish, I need to “go for the next big dream”.

The Type of Leader Green Hill Needs

While I pursue “the next big dream”, Green Hill needs a deliberate leader who is laser-focused on operational excellence. The CEO should be consumed with refining the program, improving outcomes, and providing the best possible service to our clients and their families. While my brute force, full-steam-ahead mentality allowed us to quickly build a great team and program, after lots of introspection and discussion with my trusted advisors, I know that these skills are not aligned with what Green Hill needs out of its CEO today. Fortunately, Green Hill’s current Executive Director, Nick Slovak’s skills and interests are well-aligned with what Green Hill needs from its CEO now. I’ve always admired Nick’s style because, in many ways, his skill set is the inverse of my own. Where I am restless and intense, Nick is patient and consistent. Where I am an idealistic dreamer, Nick is a realist who gets things done. It’s that type of long-term consistency and the patience to get 1% better every day that Nick brings to the helm of Green Hill. I couldn’t be more excited to see what he and the team will accomplish.

Improving Access, Affordability, and Quality

So what will I be up to? Well, I’m hellbent on increasing access, affordability, and quality in the healthcare system. Doing all three simultaneously through one program, like Green Hill, is impossible. That’s where Advaita Health Ventures (AHV) comes in. AHV is a platform. Technically, it’s a managed services organization whose purpose is to support clinical operations at Green Hill Recovery and Advaita Integrated Medicine (AIM). AHV is designed to take the complexity out of Green Hill and AIM. This is accomplished through holding several administrative and non-client-centric functions — i.e., human resources, digital marketing, finance, compliance, legal, insurance contracting and credentialing, and facilities management — so that the operating companies refine their craft, and serve patients instead of navigating bureaucracy and red tape.

I’m hellbent on increasing access, affordability, and quality in the healthcare system. Doing all three simultaneously through one program, like Green Hill, is impossible.
We started AHV because we believe that if we’re going to address the growing mental health and substance use crises, it’s going to take a patchwork of programs – insurance-based, private pay, and government-funded – that serve specific populations by providing whole-person care. Our healthcare system needs leaders who are looking for new ways to serve both our patients and their providers. That is why I’m positioning myself between (1) policymakers, (2) patients, (3) providers, and (4) technologists at AHV so we can address the social determinants of health, create innovative payor-provider structures, and come up with effective, technology-enabled interventions, all while creating provider-centric environments. Our healthcare system needs leaders who are looking for new ways to serve both our patients and their providers. I’m tackling that by going full Don Quixote and fighting one giant windmill: the healthcare system.

We started AHV because we believe that if we’re going to address the growing mental health and substance use crises, it’s going to take a patchwork of programs – insurance-based, private pay, and government-funded – that serve specific populations by providing whole-person care.

I will miss being in the trenches — with clients, referents, and collaborators throughout the country — but I won’t be far away! My work now is to support the great work of our frontline team, the individuals who are making the world a better place through their service to clients.

A Heartfelt Thank You

Serving as Green Hill’s CEO has been the most challenging and rewarding experience of my life. It’s been an honor and a privilege to lead a values-based, mission-driven team at Green Hill, and while I’m officially signing off as CEO, I leave with the utmost confidence that the best days are ahead. Thank you for allowing me to serve, learn, and grow alongside you all.

– Tripp Johnson