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Through advocacy work, community and professional events, and media outreach, Veritas is helping to bring cutting-edge research, best-practice care, and scientifically backed information into the national eating disorder conversation. Here in our blog you can learn about the work we and others are doing to advance the understanding and treatment of eating disorders. You’ll also find interesting articles and helpful insights that can support you or a loved one on the journey to lasting recovery. We want to hear your story. Email us (blog@veritascollaborative.com) and ask how you can become a contributor!

Harry Holmberg

Harry Holmberg

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Harry Holmberg

Vice President of IT

Accanto Health


Harry Holmberg is the Vice President of IT for Accanto Health, the parent company of Veritas Collaborative and The Emily Program.

Harry is a seasoned executive who has spent over 25 years in healthcare and life science IT services, leading in various capacities. Harry is known for his broad depth of knowledge in Information Technology, Cyber Security, Business Intelligence, and Decision Support. Harry has also played key leadership roles in several Mergers & Acquisitions and Divestitures.

Harry spent 2.5 years at Kindeva Drug Delivery leading their IT Infrastructure and Security Teams. Prior to Kindeva, he worked for Acova Integrated Health for 2.5 years, leading their IT Function, and United Health Group for 23 years in various leadership positions. Harry holds numerous industry certifications and credentials in Cyber Security, Data Management, IT Architecture, and ITIL.


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Kelsey Thomas

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Kelsey Thomas

MS, RDN, CD

Senior Regional Director, Pacific Northwest

Accanto Health


Kelsey Thomas, MS, RDN, CD, is the Senior Regional Director, Pacific Northwest at Accanto Health, the parent company of Veritas Collaborative and The Emily Program. Kelsey joined The Emily Program’s Seattle Outpatient site in 2012 as a Registered Dietitian and transitioned over time into the Senior Regional Director, Pacific Northwest role. During her time working at the Seattle Outpatient site, Kelsey has worked with adults and adolescents in OP, IOP, and PHP levels of care and held the role of Site Director for three years. Kelsey has her master’s degree in nutrition and dietetics, loves eating the food her husband makes, and enjoys playing cribbage as well as gardening in her outdoor and indoor gardens.


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Brittany Davis

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Brittany Davis

MEd, LPCC-S

Senior Regional Director, Midwest

Accanto Health


Brittany Davis, MEd, LPCC-S, is the Senior Regional Director, Midwest at Accanto Health, the parent company of Veritas Collaborative and The Emily Program. Brittany began her counseling career as a graduate student at The Cleveland Center for Eating Disorders (CCED) in 2009. After graduating, she joined the CCED team as the Adolescent PHP/IOP Program Coordinator and remained in this role for nine years. In 2018, she transitioned to the Site Director for The Emily Program’s Cleveland Outpatient location. Over the years, Brittany has specialized in the treatment of adolescent eating disorders using the Family-Based Treatment (FBT) approach and has attended multiple intensive trainings in Family-Based Treatment (FBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT).

Brittany is the mom to a daughter, Isabelle, and a son, Tyler. She has a love for animals and recently adopted a golden retriever puppy. In her personal time, she enjoys being outside, spending time with her family and friends, and cheering on Cleveland sports teams.


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Chase Bannister

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Chase Bannister

MDIV, MSW, LCSW, CEDS

Senior Vice President for Community Engagement | Founder, Veritas Collaborative

Accanto Health


Chase Bannister, Founder of Veritas Collaborative, is Senior Vice President for Community Engagement of Accanto Health, the parent company of Veritas Collaborative and The Emily Program. Chase is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and is credentialed as a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist. He is Principal of Bannister Consultancy, a firm committed to thought leadership for healthcare strategy & civic engagement, and formerly served Veritas Collaborative as Chief Strategy & Clinical Officer. In 2006, he developed the clinical program for CRC Health Group’s first startup residential eating disorders treatment center.

Chase’s career is marked by achievements in many arenas, including federal legislative initiatives, standards-of-care creation, clinical program innovation, healthcare entrepreneurship, professional education, advocacy, and public awareness campaigns. He played a significant role in ensuring the inclusion of eating disorders policy within The 21st Century Cures Act—the first acknowledgment of eating disorders in the history of federal statutory law. A highly respected speaker, Chase appears regularly on the national stage to present on eating disorders, healthcare policy, and ethics.

Chase is Immediate Past President of the Board of Directors for the Eating Disorders Coalition for Research, Policy & Action. He is also an active member of the Academy for Eating Disorders and the Eating Disorders Leadership Summit, as well as the REDC Consortium, chairing the Special Investigatory Committee on Ethics.

A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Wofford College, Chase was the first to earn concurrent graduate degrees in Clinical Social Work & Divinity from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School and Duke University. He is the recipient of The Arthur B. & Ida Maie Rivers Award for Integrity, Virtue, Gentleness, and Character, as well as The L. Harris Chewning Award for Academic Scholarship and Intellectual & Moral Integrity.


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Sydney Brodeur-Johnson

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Sydney Brodeur-Johnson

PhD, LCP, CEDS

Senior Director, Clinical Services

Accanto Health


Dr. Sydney Brodeur-Johnson is the Senior Director of Clinical Services at Accanto Health, the parent company of Veritas Collaborative and The Emily Program.

Dr. Brodeur’s passion is providing best-practice, research-informed, and multiculturally competent treatment to patients and their families suffering with eating disorders. She is committed to increasing access to effective treatment, training professionals to deliver gold-standard care, and empowering them to be the best providers and people they can be.

Dr. Brodeur received her PhD in Counseling Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in 2005 and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham with a concentration in the interdisciplinary treatment of adolescents with eating disorders. She assisted with the opening of Carolina House, a residential eating disorder treatment facility in Durham, NC, and was the first Center Director there. From 2008–2019 Sydney served as the eating disorder specialist and Associate Director for Training at University Counseling Services at VCU. In that role, she maintained APA accreditation of the psychology internship program and was the administrator for the training program for students in psychology, social work, and counselor education. She also served as a member of the center’s executive team.

In her free time, Sydney enjoys spending time with her children and partner, being outdoors, listening to music, and traveling.


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Jackie Ottoson

Jackie Ottoson

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Jackie Ottoson

Vice President of Human Resources

Accanto Health


Jackie Kane Ottoson is the Vice President of Human Resources for Accanto Health, the parent company of Veritas Collaborative and The Emily Program.

She brings over 25 years of broad corporate and field leadership experience in diverse environments from healthcare to hospitality and non-profits to Fortune 100 organizations. Her previous experience includes McKesson, Caremark, Bon Secours, Deluxe, and Famous Dave’s. Jackie is known for achieving results through building strategic partnerships, leveraging technology, and aligning culture with organizational mission and business objectives. She brings experience in building robust talent pipelines, strategic planning, coaching and mentoring, mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and leading through organizational change.

Jackie serves as a board member and operations committee member for Summit Academy, OIC, a community-based vocational training and job placement program in North Minneapolis, Minnesota. She also serves as a board member and Chair of the Governance Committee for HIRED, one of the most respected workforce development organizations in the Twin Cities area. For Tubman, Jackie is a board and nomination committee member.


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Lindsay Drebenstedt

Lindsay Drebenstedt

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Lindsay Drebenstedt

MBA

Vice President of Corporate Operations

Accanto Health


Lindsay Drebenstedt is the Vice President of Corporate Operations for Accanto Health, the parent company of Veritas Collaborative and The Emily Program.

Lindsay leads a network of teams dedicated to providing exceptional service to all clients seeking care – from their first phone call to inquire about treatment services to ensuring a warm and welcoming environment in which to heal. These key teams include admissions, office managers, utilization reviewers, client accounts, scheduling, and property management.

Lindsay also plays a central role in expanding treatment access to new markets, with a focus on site expansion execution. She began working at the front desk of The Emily Program during her senior year of high school, providing a unique opportunity to observe both the clinical and business sides of eating disorder treatment. Lindsay joined the administrative staff full-time after receiving her bachelor’s in business administration (concentrating on international business) from George Washington University in the District of Columbia. She earned her master’s in business administration from the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management.


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Leah Graves

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Leah Graves

RDN, LDN, CEDRD-S, FAED

Vice President, Nutrition and Culinary Services

Accanto Health


Leah Graves is the Vice President of Nutrition and Culinary Services of Accanto Health, the parent company of Veritas Collaborative and The Emily Program. Leah has been treating patients with eating disorders for over 30 years. Prior to joining Veritas, Leah was the Manager of Eating Disorders Nutrition Therapy for the Laureate Eating Disorders Program in Tulsa, OK.  She graduated with the highest distinction from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in 1985 and then began her work with individuals with eating disorders.

Leah is a founding member of the Academy for Eating Disorders where she has served on the Academy’s Executive Team, Board of Directors and Chaired the North American Teaching Days for the International Conference on Eating Disorders in addition to serving the Academy on the Nominating, Fellowship Selection, and Membership Recruitment and Retention Committees.   She has also been honored with the distinction of Fellow of the Academy for Eating Disorders.

Leah has been involved in eating disorders advocacy with the National Eating Disorders Association as a member of the Conference Planning Committee and with the Oklahoma Eating Disorders Association where she served as President and Governance Committee Chair.   She currently serves on the Clinical Advisory Board for Rock Recovery.

Leah has been invited faculty at many eating disorders conferences including the International Conference on Eating Disorders, Hispano-Latin American Congress on Eating Disorders, International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals Symposium, Renfrew Foundation Conference, Multi-service Eating Disorders Association Conference, and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Food and Nutrition Conference, as well as numerous regional and local conferences. Leah has written several publications pertaining to nutrition and eating disorders and is highly respected within the eating disorders field for her expertise in medical nutrition therapy, nutrition counseling, clinical supervision, and research.


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Mark Warren

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Mark Warren

MD, MPH, FAED

Chief Medical Officer

Accanto Health


Dr. Mark Warren is the Chief Medical Officer of Accanto Health, the parent company of Veritas Collaborative and The Emily Program. Accanto is focused on bringing the most advanced, evidence-based care to clients who are treated in a community of recovery. A graduate of the Johns Hopkins University Medical School, he completed his residency at Harvard Medical School. He is on Faculty at Case Medical School and teaches at University Hospitals of Cleveland and The Cleveland Clinic Foundation. He is a past chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Case Western University’s Mt. Sinai Hospital.

Dr. Warren is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and a Fellow of the Academy of Eating Disorders, where he co-founded the SIG in Professionals and Recovery and the SIG for Males and Eating Disorders. He is a two-time recipient of the Exemplary Psychiatrist Award of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, and a winner of the Woodruff Award. He has published and spoken extensively on Males and Eating Disorders, Professionals and Recovery, and DBT and FBT in the treatment of eating disorders.

Dr. Warren was a founding member and co-chair of the Academy of Eating Disorders Medical Care Standards Committee and serves on the FEAST Medical Advisory Board and The Visiting Committee of the Case Western Francis Payne Bolton School of Nursing.


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Jillian Lampert

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Jillian Lampert

PhD, MPH, RD, LD, FAED

Chief Strategy Officer

Accanto Health


Dr. Jillian Lampert is the Chief Strategy Officer of Accanto Health, the parent company of Veritas Collaborative and The Emily Program. Additionally, Dr. Lampert is Co-Founder and President of the REDC, the national consortium representing eating disorders care focused on treatment standards, best practices, access to care, and collaborative research. She is also a Board Member of the Eating Disorders Coalition, a DC-based national organization for eating disorders policy and advocacy, and a Board Member of WithAll, a Minnesota-based organization that empowers eating disorder prevention and strengthens support for recovery. She holds an adjunct graduate faculty position in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Minnesota.

Dr. Lampert completed her doctorate degree in Nutrition and Epidemiology and Master of Public Health degree in Public Health Nutrition at the University of Minnesota. She earned a Master of Science degree in Nutrition at the University of Vermont and completed her dietetic internship at the University of Minnesota Hospital and Clinics. She has an expansive range of policy, clinical, research, education, teaching, and program development experience in the area of eating disorders.

Dr. Lampert has served on the Board of Directors of the Academy for Eating Disorders as the Electronic Media Portfolio Director and co-chair of the Academy for Eating Disorders Nutrition Special Interest Group. She is a Fellow of the Academy for Eating Disorders (FAED) and a member of the Academy for Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association), and BHN (Behavioral Health Nutrition) dietetic practice group. Dr. Lampert is the author of numerous book chapters and articles addressing the nutritional treatment of eating disorders, body image, sports participation, adolescent health, and disordered eating and she regularly speaks regionally and nationally on numerous eating disorder-related topics.

One of her primary goals in life is to have the kids in her house (and everywhere!) have confident, loving relationships with their bodies and themselves.


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Jessie Morsching

Jessie Morsching

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Jessie Morsching

MBA

Chief Financial Officer

Accanto Health

Jessie Morsching is the Chief Financial Officer of Accanto Health, the parent company of Veritas Collaborative and The Emily Program.

Jessie is a seasoned executive who has spent over 20 years in multi-site healthcare services, leading in various capacities. She is known for her broad depth of knowledge in finance and accounting, as well as for being a proven partner and leader in operations, sales, strategy, and business development.

Jessie spent eight years at Alliance Healthcare Services (now Akumin) leading its largest division—radiology—which provided services in 49 states to over 1000 customers. Prior to Alliance, she worked for the Center for Diagnostic Imaging (now RAYUS) for 12 years before her career start in public accounting. Jessie holds a Master of Business Administration from the Carlson School of Management and is also a Certified Public Accountant (inactive).


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Caleb Kaihoi

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Caleb Kaihoi

MA, LMFT

Senior Regional Director, North

Accanto Health


Caleb Kaihoi, MA, LMFT, is the Senior Regional Director, North of Accanto Health, the parent company of Veritas Collaborative and The Emily Program. Caleb joined The Emily Program’s Anna Westin House in St. Paul, MN in 2014 as a Residential Therapist. Caleb has a combined 5 years of experience leading both residential and outpatient sites at The Emily Program, and over time transitioned to the Senior Regional Director, North role. In clinical work, Caleb draws from multiple approaches to support clients in meeting their goals, including understanding family and relational context, providing CBT and DBT skills, utilizing the stages of change model, and trauma-informed care. He is passionate about ensuring sites are providing effective care at all levels, and that clients will experience tangible change and improvement in their health and wellbeing.

Outside of work, Caleb enjoys spending time with his family, being outdoors, golfing, working on house projects, and listening to all types of music.


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Mary Bretzman

Mary Bretzman

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Mary Bretzman

MD

Vice President for the Department of Adult Medicine

Accanto Health


Dr. Mary Bretzman is the Vice President for the Department of Adult Medicine at Accanto Health, the parent company of Veritas Collaborative and The Emily Program. 

Dr. Bretzman is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Medical School and completed a residency in Family Medicine at the University of Utah-Salt Lake City. Since residency, she practiced in primary care in Utah and Minnesota. Dr. Bretzman started at The Emily Program in 2010, providing medical service to all ages in the field of eating disorders.


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Anna Tanner

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Anna Tanner

MD, FAAP, FSAHM, CEDS-S

Vice President for the Department of Child and Adolescent Medicine

Accanto Health


Dr. Anna B. Tanner is Vice President of Child and Adolescent Medicine for Accanto Health, the parent company of Veritas Collaborative and The Emily Program. She is a board-certified Pediatrician who has specialized in the care of complicated adolescent patients, in particular patients with eating disorders, for over 20 years.

Dr. Tanner completed medical school and residency at Vanderbilt University, and then remained there to serve on the Pediatrics faculty in the Division of Young Adult and Adolescent Medicine. Dr. Tanner has been very involved in advocacy and education efforts and serves on national and international committees for eating disorders education. She speaks frequently across the United States on the Medical Complications of Eating Disorders, especially as they affect children and young adolescents, and contributed a book chapter on that topic in the 4th edition of Dr. Philip S. Mehler’s Eating Disorders: A Comprehensive Guide to Medical Care and Complications.

Dr. Tanner currently serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Pediatrics for Emory University School of Medicine and as an Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science for Morehouse School of Medicine. She is co-chair of the Academy of Eating Disorders (AED) Medical Care Standards Committee and a member of the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals (IAEDP) Certification Committee Task Force.

Dr. Tanner is a Fellow in the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM), a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist, and a Certified Eating Disorders Supervisor. She has been named by Atlanta magazine as a “Top Doctor” every year from 2013 to 2022 and named by Castle Connelly as an Exceptional Woman in Medicine and one of America’s Most Honored Doctors.

 


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Rebecca Eckstein

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Rebecca Eckstein

LCSW, CEDS-S

Senior Regional Director, Southeast

Accanto Health


Becca Eckstein, LCSW, CEDS, is the Senior Regional Director, Southeast at Accanto Health, the parent company of Veritas Collaborative and The Emily Program. Becca is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, having earned her MSW in Social Work from New York University, and Bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Violin Performance from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL.

Becca’s experience helping individuals with eating disorders in various levels of care at Veritas and in Massachusetts, along with her training in FBT, ACT, CBT, and DBT, informs her evidence-based approach to treatment. She is passionate about empowering individuals to create a sustainable path to recovery that moves them in the direction of their values. She also firmly believes in treatment to outcome, to help ensure the best chance of a lasting recovery process for individuals and their loved ones. Becca specializes in family therapy and sees partners, parents, and other loved ones as essential advocates and allies in the treatment process.


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Kate Norris

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Kate Norris

JD

General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer

Accanto Health


Kate Norris is the General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of Accanto Health, the parent company of Veritas Collaborative and The Emily Program, leading the Legal, Compliance, and Medical Records functions. She studied law at the University of St. Thomas School of Law in the Twin Cities and worked in a variety of capacities within the medical device industry, legal technology, and public defense prior to joining The Emily Program 5 years ago. She is a current adjunct professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Law and a frequent speaker in university classes and various legal and compliance conferences. Kate has a passion for expanding access to care for adults and adolescents with eating disorders and works closely with government entities in her work to achieve that objective.


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Stacey Brown

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Stacey Brown

RN

Vice President of Nursing

Accanto Health


Stacey Brown serves as the Vice President of Nursing at Accanto Health, the parent company of Veritas Collaborative and The Emily Program, both of which serve a diverse clientele suffering from eating disorders and other comorbid disorders. Stacey practiced as an Intensive Care/Critical Care nurse, ER nurse, and Cardiac Cath Lab nurse for several years prior to working in the field of mental health.

Since transitioning her nursing care into the world of eating disorders in 2007, Stacey has worked extensively in areas of utilization review management, nursing administration, and consulting. She is passionate about the work she does and loves helping nursing teams learn how to develop strong clinical and critical thinking skills that are based on best and safe practices.

Outside of work, Stacey loves to golf, travel, play the piano and organ, spend time with her very large family, and relax with her husband and a good movie.


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Scott Crow

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Scott Crow

MD

Vice President for the Department of Psychiatry

Accanto Health


Dr. Scott Crow is the Vice President of the Department of Psychiatry at Accanto Health, the parent company of The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative.

Scott oversees research that The Emily Program conducts in partnership with the University of Minnesota. He also provides psychiatric evaluations and medication management for a small caseload of individual clients. Scott earned his medical degree and completed his psychiatric residency at the University of Minnesota, where he is now a professor. Scott has been active in national and international eating disorders groups and is Past President of the Academy of Eating Disorders.


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Liz McCabe

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Liz McCabe

PhD, LCSW

Chief Clinical Officer

Accanto Health


Liz McCabe is the Chief Clinical Officer of Accanto Health, the parent company of Veritas Collaborative and The Emily Program. Liz joined The Emily Program in 2015 as the Pittsburgh Site Director with the responsibility of expanding access to eating disorders specialty care in the southwestern Pennsylvania region. In 2020 she assumed the role of Chief Clinical Officer and is now responsible for ensuring that clients in all levels of care receive effective evidence-based treatment.

Liz brings over 25 years of eating disorders experience to her role as the Chief Clinical Officer. She has worked with children, adolescents, and adults in inpatient and outpatient settings and across the domains of clinical practice, supervision, program development, administration, teaching, and research. Prior to joining The Emily Program, she served as Clinical Administrator for the Eating Disorders Program and Director of Social Work at Western Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. She also served as Adjunct Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

Liz received her Ph.D. in social work at the University of Pittsburgh. Her research there focused on predictors of readmission to hospital among individuals hospitalized for treatment of anorexia nervosa. She has authored and co-authored articles and book chapters, and frequently presents to local and national audiences on eating disorders and dialectical behavior therapy. She is a member of the Academy of Eating Disorders and served as Past Co-Chair of the Family Therapy Special Interest Group.


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Doug Foote

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Doug Foote

Chief Operating Officer

Accanto Health


Doug Foote is Chief Operating Officer of Accanto Health, the parent company of Veritas Collaborative and The Emily Program. He is accountable for the operational and financial performance of all care delivery sites. Doug has a unique background, leading organizations for 20+ years in healthcare and insurance services including behavioral healthcare, home healthcare, podiatric healthcare, and long-term care insurance administration.

Doug is known for his ability to ensure delivery on complex initiatives such as mergers and acquisitions, integrations, separations, conversions, transformations, cost reductions, and other large-scale strategic endeavors. He also has a long history of community involvement, most notably as a veteran volunteer firefighter/EMT.

It is Doug’s passion to provide Veritas Collaborative and The Emily Program’s healing services to all those in need. He is inspired by the eating disorder experiences of family and friends.


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