R. John Sutherland

About R. John Sutherland

Throughout my career, I have advocated for increased access to value-based mental health and substance use services, driving new clinical programs, new facilities, and engagement in legislative committees to boost patient volumes while delivering ROIs. As the addiction system director for MN’s largest healthcare system, Allina Health, I co-led the strategic direction, operations, and change management of 12 hospitals and 90 clinics, transforming a failing addiction services program into a cash-positive division with 6-figure bottom-line revenue YoY. Additionally, I currently serve as one of 10 certified national trainers in evidence-based treatment programs for prolonged exposure to PTSD. Career accomplishments include-Turning around Allina’s addiction services program that had underperformed for 20 years within 8 months. I increased patient access to care by 30%, eliminating a multimillion-dollar negative cash flow, and brought in an additional 6-figure profit within 2 years-Leading a team in creating a business plan, launching a multimillion-dollar telemedicine practice for substance use disorders at Allina, and co-chairing the addiction program committee-Establishing and operationalizing one of MN’s few opioid inpatient residential addiction unit over a 2-year period. I was also appointed by Governor Walz as a voting member of a 17-member opioid epidemic advisory board, serving as the representative for all substance use disorder programs across the state-Creating North Memorial’s first behavioral health service line with mental health clinics, integrated medical services, substance use disorder placement assessments, a partial hospital program, and more. My program development generated progressively larger and positive financials to generate millions of dollars in annual revenue, with a high, 6-figure ROI YoY. As a senior healthcare operations director with strong medical program expertise, broad knowledge of patient care systems, and financial acumen, I am dedicated to advancing mental health services with lasting community impact. I am always looking to grow my professional network. If you would like to connect, please contact me at r••••••••@yahoo.com. Specialties: Addiction & Recovery Services Management Trauma-Informed Care & Harm Reduction Healthcare Operations & Administration Business Expansion & Marketing Plans Regulatory Compliance/DHS Statutes Medical Documentation & Coding Project Scenarios & Risk Analysis Value Base/Population Health Lean Six Sigma Operations Stakeholder Relationships Quality Assurance & KPIs

Experience

1. Vice President of Addiction Services

   Nystrom & Associates, Ltd

   Feb 2022 — Present · New Brighton, MN, US

Education

• University of St. Thomas

  Master of Arts - MA, Counseling Psychology

• University of Houston

  Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Counseling Psychology

• University of St. Thomas

  Bachelor of Arts - BA, History and Social Studies Education

• University of Minnesota School of Public Health

  Master of Health Administration