Mary Pawlikowski, MA, MEd, Chief Operating Officer of Vanderbilt Behavioral Health, has been named interim president of the Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital (VPH), succeeding Jameson Norton, MBA, in the role he has held since 2016.
Norton is departing Vanderbilt University Medical Center to join Newport Healthcare as chief operating officer. Newport Healthcare is one of the country’s leading treatment providers specializing in teens, young adults and their families struggling with mood disorders and addictions.
Pawlikowski joined VUMC in 2015 as Vice President of Operations for Vanderbilt Behavioral Health and was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in 2017.
“Jameson’s commitment to helping individuals and families struggling with behavioral health issues has helped distinguish the Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital and its offerings while he has worked to better integrate the hospital’s outstanding services into the clinical operations of the Adult and Children’s Hospitals. I want to thank him for his contributions and wish him well as he transitions to the next phase of his career,” said C. Wright Pinson, MBA, MD, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Health System Officer for VUMC.
“We are fortunate to have Mary ready to assume the responsibilities of VPH’s interim president. She came to VUMC with a strong and varied background in the behavioral health field and has worked closely with Jameson and other members of the Medical Center’s leadership team since joining the organization. She is well prepared, and I want to welcome her as she makes this transition,” Pinson said.
Prior to joining VUMC, Pawlikowski served as COO for Concord Behavioral Health and was vice president and COO for the Carrier Clinic in Belle Meade, New Jersey, where she helped plan and execute a major facilities expansion effort and was focused on process improvement and fiscal management.
“I am privileged to serve as interim president of Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital and look forward to continuing to advance the strategic growth of behavioral health within VUMC for our patients, families and staff,” said Pawlikowski. “And, I am most appreciative for Jameson’s leadership and dedicated service.”
Some of the accomplishments during Norton’s time as VPH president include opening the Psychiatric Assessment Service to the community in 2017, which has enabled critical access to emergency psychiatric care and crisis services for adults; co-leading behavioral health integration across VUMC and the Vanderbilt Health Affiliated Network (VHAN) from a design session in 2018 to successful implementation of multiple initiatives including behavioral integration teams at VUAH; a behavioral health consult line for pediatricians in VHAN; an ongoing collaborative care pilot with Adult Primary Care; and the launch of the VUMC Bridge Clinic as part of an expansion of clinical services under the umbrella of Vanderbilt Integrated Services for Treatment of Addiction (VISTA).
“Being a part of this team and serving alongside my extraordinary colleagues at VUMC has been the honor of my life. I have cherished our time together and am confident Vanderbilt Behavioral Health will continue to lead from the front in providing hope and healing to this region,” said Norton.
