Compass Health Welcomes New Chief Medical Officer

EVERETT, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Compass Health recently welcomed Dr. Kathryn Gilligan, who joins the community behavioral health organization as Chief Medical Officer (CMO). In her role as CMO, Gilligan works with clients, staff and community partners to support equitable access to care, integrate services and expand robust programs for people experiencing mental health and substance abuse needs.

“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Dr. Gilligan to our team,” said Tom Sebastian, president and CEO of Compass Health. “With a passion for and commitment to behavioral health, as well as an extensive background teaching the next generation of healthcare professionals, Dr. Gilligan’s impressive combination of skills and experience makes her an ideal fit for this role.”

With the hiring of Gilligan, Compass Health continues to focus on ways it can break down barriers to care for the community members it serves: low-income adults and youth. Additionally, Gilligan aims to expand upon the organization’s work in creating a more integrated model of care to better support whole-person health – a model that strengthens collaboration across behavioral health and medical providers at Compass Health, allowing them to meet the mental and physical needs of its clients.

“As the largest community behavioral health provider in Northwest Washington, Compass Health operates at a size and scale that enables our team to really make a regionwide impact,” Gilligan said. “I feel compelled to dedicate my time, experience and effort to helping the organization grow and expand in areas it hasn’t before, and to make sure we’re leveraging every avenue to expand access to our services.”

Gilligan joins Compass Health after serving as the medical director of behavioral health at Providence Medical Group in Everett and has over ten years of experience as an inpatient and outpatient psychiatrist. For five years, she taught at the Washington State University College of Medicine, where she was the direct supervisor of 3^rd and 4^th year medical students. She earned her Doctor of Medicine from Ohio State University and received her bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the University of Cincinnati.

Gilligan brings strong connections with local, regional and state leaders and stakeholders in healthcare. In her most recent role, she helped lead a committee – co-chaired by Compass Health and Providence – that met monthly to bring together area hospitals, first responders and school representatives. They focus on promoting the well-being of medical staff providers by helping to ensure their long-term success within the healthcare community. Now, she will continue to lead the committee in her role as Compass Health’s CMO.

“Delivering whole-person care is a collective effort, and Dr. Gilligan brings a new and exciting dynamic to our team,” said Stacey Alles, chief operating officer at Compass Health. “I’m excited to work alongside Dr. Gilligan and the rest of our clinical team to continue to integrate care within our organization – and to foster connections with our partners across the region.”

Building on relationships developed by its leadership team, including Gilligan, Compass Health remains focused on recruiting healthcare professionals and strengthening relationships with community service members, including therapists and counselors, school organizations, EMT providers and other local healthcare providers.

“Behavioral health is such an exciting and rewarding field to be a part of,” Gilligan said. “I’m really looking forward to helping make a positive and lasting impact across the Northwest Washington region and beyond.”

To learn more about Gilligan and Compass Health, visit: https://www.compasshealth.org/