Center City, Minnesota (January 22, 2019)—Looking to expand collaborations with state governments on solutions to the nation's addiction crisis, the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation has tapped the former commissioner of Minnesota's Department of Human Services as its new executive director of government relations and contracting. Emily Piper begins the job February 4.
"We have a lot of opportunity to work with state leaders and other partners from around the country as they look to collaboratively build better systems of addiction care and recovery support," said Mark Mishek, president and CEO for Hazelden Betty Ford, a national nonprofit addiction treatment leader. "Emily's breadth and depth of experience will be a great asset as we expand our support nationally of state efforts to reduce addiction rates, improve recovery rates and end the tragic opioid overdose epidemic."
Piper, an attorney, will be responsible for developing Hazelden Betty Ford's long-term government affairs strategy, focused on state regulatory and public policy opportunities as well as the expansion of core business segments via government contracts and public-private partnerships. Piper's experience working with mainstream healthcare providers and both public and private payors will also enable her to support Hazelden Betty Ford's exploration of new business and revenue models.
"I knew I wanted to continue doing mission-driven work after I finished my public service, and nowhere is the mission clearer than at Hazelden Betty Ford, where the singular purpose is to be a force of hope and healing for individuals, families and communities affected by addiction," Piper said. "I look forward to helping one of Minnesota's great healthcare organizations build its collaborative capacity and fulfill its mission and leadership role nationally."
For the past three years, Piper has led the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS), which serves well over 1 million people and has an annual budget of $16.2 billion and more than 6,000 employees. Her agency administered a broad range of services, including health care, economic assistance, mental health care, substance use disorder treatment, child welfare services, and services for the elderly and people with disabilities.
Among other achievements, Piper led the extensive redesign of Minnesota's public substance use disorder treatment system, making it more responsive and effective. Prior to her DHS appointment by Gov. Mark Dayton, Piper served as Dayton's general counsel and deputy chief of staff. Before that, she was deputy commissioner and chief of staff for the Minnesota Department of Commerce, where she also served as general counsel.
Minnesota-headquartered Hazelden Betty Ford, celebrating its 70th anniversary this year, has grown to 17 sites nationally. It provides comprehensive inpatient and outpatient addiction treatment for adults and youth and also has significant education, publishing, research, prevention, advocacy and consultation resources. Having maintained a strong voice in Washington, D.C., for years, it now aims to expand its presence in state Capitols, where the addiction crisis has become a top priority.
"Emily will be valuable to the ongoing transformation and future of our business," said Nick Motu, Hazelden Betty Ford's vice president and chief external affairs officer.
"We have worked hard to expand our accessibility in recent years and are now growing and serving more people than ever. Along the way, we have been innovating and making significant improvements to our model of care," Motu added. "An opportunity now is to do what Hazelden Betty Ford has done throughout its history—work with others to share knowledge and expertise, and to advance addiction treatment into the future. Emily's hire is a big part of that strategy and will help us expand our relationships, influence and opportunities in a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape."