Henry Ford Health and Acadia Healthcare Appoint Emily Sexton as CEO of New Henry Ford Health Behavioral Health Hospital

WEST BLOOMFIELD, MICH. – Henry Ford Health, one of the nation’s premier academic and integrated health systems, and Acadia Healthcare, the nation’s largest stand-alone behavioral healthcare company, today announced the appointment of Emily Sexton as Chief Executive Officer of Henry Ford Behavioral Health Hospital, the new 192-bed inpatient behavioral health hospital being built through a joint venture partnership between Henry Ford and Acadia in West Bloomfield, Michigan. 

“I am honored to be selected for this role and thrilled to get started as we reimagine the delivery of behavioral healthcare,” said Sexton, a longtime Henry Ford behavioral health leader. “This is a tremendous opportunity to build and lead a team that brings the best of both organizations together to meet the growing need for quality healthcare in this space. I look forward to building on our culture of compassion and clinical excellence, following in Henry Ford Health’s legacy of unwavering care and advocacy for our patients.”

The new hospital will be a two-story facility, spanning approximately 120,000 square feet on Henry Ford Health’s West Bloomfield campus and providing a natural extension of the services the health system already offers. This new hospital, expected to open at the end of the year, will allow Henry Ford Health to deliver innovative care, increase resources and address the growing need for accessible, high-quality behavioral health services in Metro Detroit and beyond. It will also serve as a destination academic site, educating the next generation of behavioral healthcare providers including psychiatry residents, medical students and nurses. 

“Naming Emily as CEO is a crucial step in the successful opening and operation of this hospital,” said Adnan Munkarah, M.D., President, Care Delivery System & Chief Clinical Officer for Henry Ford Health. “The need for comprehensive, compassionate behavioral health care is more important than ever. As the demand for behavioral health services within our communities continues to grow, Emily and her team will help to ensure our patients are receiving the best care possible. We are pleased that through our partnership with Acadia, we were able to find an executive of Emily’s caliber with roots in Michigan to lead this hospital.”

Prior to this appointment, Sexton was the Director of Hospital Operations and Nurse Executive for Henry Ford Kingswood Hospital. Sexton has 20 years of nursing experience with Henry Ford Health with the last 10 years focused on nursing leadership and hospital operations. She received an MSN in Advanced Public Health Nursing from Wayne State University, a BSN from University of Detroit Mercy and an ADN from Lansing Community College. 

Sexton’s leadership career started in infectious disease with a specialized focus on pandemic response and special pathogens. She is a graduate of Henry Ford Health’s Health Equity Scholars Program, as well as a recipient of the Henry Ford ‘Focus On People’ award and the Clara Ford Nursing Excellence Award for excellence in quality and safety. She also led her team as they received the Michigan Health and Hospital Association’s Advancing Safe Care Award for their work in providing psychiatric COVID care.

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MEDIA CONTACTS: mediarelations@hfhs.org