Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan has hired Dr. John Santopietro as its president and medical director.
As president and medical director, Dr. Santopietro is responsible for the strategic direction, program development, patient care quality, business development and overall operational oversight of the psychiatric hospital. He succeeds Dr. Sigurd Ackerman in the position.
Dr. Santopietro joins Silver Hill Hospital from Carolinas HealthCare System in Charlotte, a not-for-profit system serving 2.3 million patients a year across 900 care locations, including 39 hospitals in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. He held the positions of chief clinical officer of behavioral health and chairman of the department of psychiatry for Carolinas.
Silver Hill Hospital admits 3,000 adolescents and adults annually for psychiatric disorders that include addiction, pain with co-occurring addiction, depression, bipolar disorder, eating disorders and schizophrenia. The hospital specializes in co-occurring diagnosis and treatment and is an academic affiliate of the Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry.
In 2012 Dr. Santopietro served as president of the Connecticut Psychiatric Society, earning an award for his psychiatric response leadership during the Sandy Hook tragedy.
