Acadia Healthcare has welcomed a dynamic financial leader to guide its next phase of growth. Heather Dixon joined Acadia Healthcare as chief financial officer effective July 10, 2023, stepping into the role after a distinguished career across payer, provider and pharmacy sectors. Her appointment follows the decision of long-time CFO David Duckworth to transition to an advisory capacity, ensuring continuity as Acadia advances an ambitious expansion agenda.

Dixon arrives with deep operational and strategic experience. Most recently she served as CFO of Everside Health, where she oversaw finances for a nationwide network of primary care and mental health centers. Earlier roles include senior finance and accounting leadership at Walgreens Boots Alliance and Aetna, providing her with a rare blend of facility-level operational insight and large-scale corporate financial stewardship. She has also contributed as an independent board member for healthcare companies, enhancing governance perspective that will be valuable at Acadia.

For a professional overview, see her LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-dixon-4337152.

Her mandate at Acadia Healthcare is clear and forward-looking. The company is pursuing a multi-pronged growth plan to diversify services and revenue, with an aim to significantly expand capacity and reach. As one of the largest standalone behavioral health providers in the United States, Acadia operates roughly 250 behavioral health facilities with about 11,100 beds across 39 states and Puerto Rico. Under recent leadership changes, including the hiring of CEO Chris Hunter, the organization has accelerated initiatives to add beds, pursue joint ventures and scale its outpatient and specialty offerings.

With Heather Dixon in the finance helm, Acadia Healthcare is positioned to strengthen financial governance while driving strategic investments that support patient care and shareholder value. Internal leadership transitions, such as the promotion of Tim Sides to senior operational finance responsibilities and the planned retirement of veteran finance executive Larry Harrod, underscore a broader reshaping of the finance team to meet growth objectives.

The tone at Acadia is upbeat and purposeful. Stakeholders can expect disciplined capital allocation, operational rigor and continued focus on expanding access to behavioral health services. Dixon’s combination of financial acumen and healthcare experience promises to be a strong asset as Acadia pursues its goal of delivering high-quality care to more patients and families nationwide.

For additional reading, including a later career update reporting Dixon’s 2025 appointment at Addus HomeCare, see:

– Home Health Care News: https://homehealthcarenews.com/2025/08/addus-homecare-appoints-heather-dixon-as-new-president-coo/

– Addus press release: https://addus.gcs-web.com/news-releases/news-release-details/addus-homecare-names-heather-dixon-president-and-chief-operating