Promises Chairman Adds Title of Interim CEO

Promises Behavioral Health has announced that its chairman, Rob Waggener, is adding the title of interim CEO, succeeding outgoing chief executive Kirk Kureska, who is leaving the organization to pursue other opportunities.

Promises operates behavioral health and addiction treatment programs in Texas, Tennessee, Florida, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. The company completed a major restructuring in March 2019 after Elements Behavioral Health, having emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and three additional facilities were acquired by BlueMountain Capital Management and an associated investor group.

As part of the restructuring, Kureska, who was the interim CEO of Elements, was named chief executive of Promises. Waggener has served as chairman during and after the restructuring, and he now takes on the Promises CEO role on an interim basis having previously served as CEO of Foundations Recovery Network, vice president for addiction services at UHS, and as an investor in multiple healthcare ventures.

In a release announcing the transition, Waggener noted that over the past year, Promises has increased its average daily patient census and is positioned for growth in the company’s existing markets “through de novo, organic and strategic partnerships.”

“We have taken essential steps to ensure high quality care for our patients and families, and a solid financial and operational foundation,” Waggener said in a statement. “Our actions have included right-sizing corporate overhead, developing a sound marketing strategy focused on strong relationships in our markets, and adding talented professionals to our team in key positions."