Special to the Times
NeighborHealth has announced the appointment of Tracey Weeden, MSW, LICSW, as Vice President and Chief Behavioral Health Officer. Bringing over 25 years of experience in behavioral healthcare, Weeden’s leadership of NeighborHealth’s behavioral health services will be guided by her commitment to improving upstream determinants of health while advancing health equity in the diverse communities the health center serves.
“Tracey’s wealth of experience in a variety of behavioral health settings will be an excellent addition to our organization. Her skillset will be invaluable in supporting NeighborHealth’s overall mission to care for the behavioral health needs of our patients and improving health outcomes in the communities we serve,” said Dr. Ryan Boxill, NeighborHealth’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. “Our newly opened Behavioral Health Urgent Care Services (BHUCS) is an example of how we are innovating in this area and I am confident that, with Tracey’s proven leadership in prioritizing patient wellbeing at the organizational level, NeighborHealth will continue to find new ways to improve the overall health and wellness of our patients.”
appointed Vice President
and Chief Behavioral Health
Officer, Tracey Weeden,
MSW, LICSW.
Prior to joining NeighborHealth, Weeden served as Executive Director of the Boston Medical Center’s Brockton Behavioral Health Hospital where she oversaw an 80-bed inpatient psychiatric hospital and 26-bed Clinical Stabilization Services program for individuals with behavioral health disorders. Weeden has also previously held the roles of Chief Operating Officer for First Step of Sarasota, Inc. and Director of Counseling and Homeless Services for RCAP Solutions, Inc.
“Reducing barriers to care is a top priority in providing effective behavioral health services and important for improving the lives of individuals in underserved communities who often experience unique challenges in accessing healthcare,” said Tracey Weeden, NeighborHealth’s newly appointed Vice President and Chief Behavioral Health Officer. “NeighborHealth’s dedication to eliminating these barriers and creating positive patient experiences by providing holistic, culturally-informed care is a mission I look forward to continuing with the organization as a leading provider in Greater Boston.”
NeighborHealth is the largest community-based primary care health system in Massachusetts with a first-of-its-kind BHUCS that offers same-day and urgent mental health services co-located with their Emergency Department, to ensure a rapid response to patients in crisis. These services are designed to help eliminate barriers to care and health inequities for underserved communities across Greater Boston.
Former Vice President and Chief Behavioral Health Officer Michael Mancusi, LICSW, will be instrumental in helping transition Weeden into her new role and will continue to work closely on a consultative basis with NeighborHealth’s leadership as he transitions into retirement after 39 years with the health system.
Weeden received her Bachelor of Science in social work from the College of New Rochelle in New York and her Master’s of Social Work from Boston University. She is currently a candidate for her Doctor of Health Services Administration at Northcentral University in San Diego, California. Weeden serves as Vice Chair of the RCAP Solutions, Inc. Board of Directors, as well as member of both the Franciscan’s Children’s Hospital Board of Directors and the MA Public Health Data Warehouse (PHD) Community Advisory Board.
NeighborHealth, formerly East Boston Neighborhood Health Center, is one of the nation’s largest Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and the largest community-based primary care health system in Massachusetts, serving over 120,000 people and recognized by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) as a National Quality Leader. For more than 50 years, NeighborHealth has offered access to comprehensive primary care, specialty care and emergency care for patients in the Commonwealth. In a first-of-its-kind merger in 2020, East Boston Neighborhood Health Center joined forces with the South End Community Health Center and expanded services to patients who live and work in Boston’s South End and Roxbury neighborhoods. NeighborHealth champions innovative care models to actively bridge health equity gaps in our low-income and immigrant communities with services unique from other healthcare providers in our state. For more information, visit www.neighborhealth.com.