CEO Update 267
NABH Submits Statement on Illicit Drug Policies to House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee
NABH this week submitted a statement to the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee for the panel’s hearing, Policies to Protect Our Communities from Illicit Drug Threats.
In our statement, NABH highlighted major concerns about H.R. 5629, the focus of the hearing, which we believe will have significant adverse effects for the more than 650,000 people receiving treatment from Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs).
“H.R. 5629 would nullify nearly all of a final rule that the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) promulgated several years ago,” the statement said. “This rule corrected federal overregulation of delivering medical care for patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) and aligned federal standards with significant evolutions in OUD treatment since the first rule was promulgated in 2001,” it continued. “If signed into law, H.R. 5629 would bring back a federal government-imposed, one-size-fits-all approach to OTP care, restoring excessive and counterproductive regulation that unduly burdened patients and providers. And most importantly, it would be a massive step backward in our nation’s effort to combat America’s addiction and overdose crises.”
Read NABH’s full statement here.
Congratulations to NABH Board Chair – Elect Andrew Lynch on His Appointment to Federal Healthcare Advisory Committee
NABH is pleased to announce NABH Board Chair – Elect Andrew Lynch, Ph.D. from Acadia Healthcare has been appointed to the U.S. Health and Human Services Department’s (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Healthcare Advisory Committee.
The new Healthcare Advisory Committee is composed of leaders across the healthcare system and will advise HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, M.D. on ways to improve how federal programs finance and deliver care in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Congratulations, Andrew!
Congratulations to NABH Board Member Frank Ghinassi on His Election as Chair of New Jersey Association of Mental Health and Addiction Agencies Board
NABH is pleased to announce NABH Board Member and Quality Committee Co-Chair Frank Ghinassi, Ph.D., A.B.P.P. from Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care and RWJBarnabas Health has been elected chair of the New Jersey Association of Mental Health and Addiction Agencies’ Board of Directors for 2027.
Frank’s term will run from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. Congratulations, Frank!
ICYMI: Scott Dziengelski to Lead NABH as President and CEO Starting April 13
Scott Dziengelski will begin serving as president and CEO on Monday, April 13. He brings nearly 20 years of experience in healthcare policy, advocacy, and coalition-building, most recently as a consultant with King & Spalding, where he advised on federal healthcare policy.
Dziengelski has a strong track record of advancing strategic policy initiatives and collaborating with diverse stakeholders. He also serves as an adjunct fellow at the Manhattan Institute, focusing on mental health and substance use disorder policy.
He previously worked at NABH as director of policy and regulatory affairs from 2017 to 2020 and has experience in the U.S. House of Representatives and the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
NABH will release a public announcement about Dziengelski’s position on April 13. Please help us welcome him to his new role!
CMS Introduces Pediatric Care Model
CMS this week announced its Accelerating State Pediatric Innovation Readiness and Effectiveness (ASPIRE) Model to support whole-person care for Medicaid- and CHIP-enrolled children up to age 21 who have or at risk for complex medical and behavioral health needs.
ASPIRE is a voluntary, state-based model running for 10 years, with up to five states participating. CMS will release a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) in 2026.
Fact of the Week
People with schizophrenia spectrum disorder were 21.6 times more likely to have been incarcerated than people with no schizophrenia spectrum disorder, according to a recent study published in Schizophrenia Research.
For questions or comments about this CEO Update, please contact Jessica Zigmond.