2007 Behavioral Health Champion: Tuerk Schlesinger, MBA

Organization: AltaPointe Health Systems, Inc. (formerly Mobile Mental Health)

Service area: Southwest region of Alabama

Main services: Outpatient, residential, and inpatient services for children, adolescents, adults, senior adults; hospital consultation; hospital management; nursing home and assisted living psychiatric services; telehealth services; adult and juvenile criminal justice services

Number of staff: 700

Most vivid behavioral healthcare memory: "When I first became CEO, the organization was in danger of losing its Medicaid waiver and was on the brink of bankruptcy. We were given three days to produce a reorganization plan and three weeks to implement it. At the end of three weeks, we regained the contract and saved the company."

Personal mission statement: "Live with integrity; respect others; and persist in believing you can bring about great and honorable results. We must help society's most vulnerable members by providing sustainable, quality care, and cultivating a reason to hope."

"I enjoy leading a team that steadfastly pursues the goal of transforming mental healthcare in our region into the mainstream of integrated healthcare. To accomplish this, we have combined the brightest professional and leadership staff, state-of-the-art technology, and adherence to the highest clinical standards of care and sound business principles. Ultimately, we want to ensure that our consumers receive the highest quality care in a seamless continuum of outpatient, residential, and inpatient settings.

"This cannot be accomplished in a vacuum. To achieve this goal, we have brought together as partners the community's hospital systems, the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, Auburn University School of Pharmacy, and the Alabama Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation. We continue to build on our relationships to solidify our place in the regional healthcare network.

"I have always tried to apply the principles of vision, structure, and cultural alignment to keep us focused and moving together toward our goals. Every day I give credit to the contributions made by our leadership team and board of directors. We're eager to learn from others and have traveled across the country to seek consultation and adapt our treatment services. In addition, we meet regularly with our consumers and families to maintain our connection with those who matter most.

"I'm proud of our development of a centralized access-to-care department; system-wide electronic health records and telehealth; the development and operation of a hospital for children, adolescents, and adults; and accreditation by The Joint Commission.

"I enjoy applying business principles to the everyday problems we encounter in a not-so-traditional business environment.

"My greatest satisfaction comes from knowing that we have built the strongest and best system of care possible for our consumers."

The 2007 Behavioral Health Champion Awards are sponsored by Netsmart Technologies.