Former CTC Operations Leader Takes on Expanded Role as Acadia Healthcare’s First Chief Operating Officer

Acadia Healthcare has elevated Dr. Nasser Khan to the newly created chief operating officer role, marking a notable change to the company’s executive structure and signaling a renewed operational focus across its treatment network. The appointment, disclosed in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing, becomes effective June 30 and reflects Acadia Healthcare’s effort to align its leadership titles with peers of comparable scale.

Dr. Nasser Khan joins the C-suite after serving as operations group president for Acadia’s comprehensive treatment center, or CTC, business line. In that capacity he oversaw a network of 145 CTC facilities that deliver medication-assisted treatment and behavioral therapies for substance-use disorders. His elevation consolidates operational oversight across Acadia’s diverse service lines during a period of strategic expansion.

The chief operating officer responsibilities were previously held by John Hollinsworth, Acadia’s executive vice president of operations, who will retire on June 30 and then remain in an advisory capacity through the end of 2024 to support leadership transition. Jacob Cooper, currently senior vice president and chief operating officer of the CTC service line, will step into the CTC group president role.

Khan’s priorities emphasize workforce support, patient service, and clinical quality. He has stated that people—both patients and staff—are at the center of his agenda, alongside a commitment to improving clinical outcomes. He also has identified innovation and the strategic use of technology as levers to enhance care delivery and employee experience across the enterprise.

The appointment arrives amid an aggressive growth plan for Acadia’s CTC business. Under Khan’s leadership, the company has announced intentions to open 14 new CTCs in 2024 and completed the acquisition of three North Carolina-based centers earlier in the year. This facility expansion complements Acadia’s five-point growth strategy, which targets facility expansion, de novo growth, joint ventures, acquisitions, and broadening the care continuum to include outpatient services such as partial hospitalization programs and intensive outpatient programs.

Khan’s industry experience spans clinical and operational roles. Before joining Acadia in 2022, he was senior vice president of operations at Shields Health Solutions, a Walgreens Boots Alliance subsidiary. He has also led programs at Biograph and held operational leadership positions at DaVita, following early-career work at McKinsey. His clinical credentials include an M.D., a Master of Medical Science, and board certification in internal medicine. Additional professional profiles and background on Khan are available at Crunchbase, MarketScreener, and a Nashville Business Journal profile/submission.

Acadia Healthcare is the largest stand-alone behavioral health provider in the United States, operating hundreds of facilities and serving tens of thousands of patients daily. As of mid-2022 the company reported a network of 239 behavioral healthcare facilities with approximately 10,600 beds across 39 states and Puerto Rico, supported by more than 22,500 employees.

Financially, Acadia reported weaker-than-expected patient volumes in the first quarter of 2024 but continues to project that it will meet full-year guidance. Company leadership has also signaled a push to grow outpatient segments and to remain a proactive acquirer in behavioral health markets.

With Dr. Nasser Khan assuming the COO role, Acadia Healthcare positions itself to integrate operational leadership with clinical expertise as it scales services, pursues strategic acquisitions, and seeks improved clinical outcomes across its treatment network.

Acadia Healthcare has elevated Dr. Nasser Khan to the newly created chief operating officer role, marking a notable change to the company’s executive structure and signaling a renewed operational focus across its treatment network. The appointment, disclosed in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing, becomes effective June 30 and reflects Acadia Healthcare’s effort to align…