The elev8.io Podcast

‘The elev8.io Podcast’ is a thought leadership platform dedicated to providing actionable insights, expert interviews, and growth strategies for Behavioral Health Centers. The podcast addresses the challenges and opportunities in the rapidly evolving behavioral health industry.Our Topics:✔ Solutions to common industry growth challenges ✔ Strategies for marketing, BD and admissions ✔ Leadership playbooks that cultivate sustainable growth✔ Innovations in technology, AI & strategic partnerships✔ VC/PE Trends for Behavioral Health Mergers & Acquisitions ✉️ podcast@elev8.io

The elev8.io Podcast is a business podcast hosted by elev8.io, with 27 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

elev8.io hosts The elev8.io Podcast, a business show with 27 episodes published.

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  The elev8.io Podcast

  25 | Building Better Adolescent Behavioral Healthcare: Family, Safety & Sustainable Recovery

  Sep 23, 202629 min

  Adolescent care is happening in a world with faster information, greater financial pressure, and less room for slow relationship-building. In this episode of The elev8 Podcast with host Gary Garth, Gary Hazy, CEO & Executive Director of Lotus Behavioral Health, is the featured guest. Together they discuss the role of empathy, particularly important when working with the families of adolescents. Gary Hazy highlighted what’s changed in the past 26 years, especially how teen struggles have changed with the digital age. He spoke about technology’s role in improving family access to treatment and the importance of guiding parents past misinformation and preconceived diagnoses. Gary Hazy highlighted the tension between offering faster care vs. relationship-building. He spoke of the challenges in prioritizing family involvement, creating trust and transparency, The episode closes on hope. In a field where leaders and families can become consumed by the cases that are not progressing, Gary Hazy stresses the importance of remembering the positive outcomes, the lessons from failure, and the "seeds" that may grow later. This episode will interest behavioral health CEOs, Executive Directors, Admissions leaders, Marketing leaders, operators, and clinical/operational decision-makers. ⏱️ Key Topics / Timestamps 0:00 — Intro: Meet Gary Hazy, Executive Director at Lotus Behavioral Health 1:28 — Gary Hazy's 26-year journey into behavioral health 4:15 — How experience shapes his leadership at Lotus 6:45 — Empathy: putting yourself in others' shoes 8:28 — What's changed in the industry over 25 years 10:14 — How teen struggles have changed with the digital age 12:37 — Technology's role in improving family access to treatment 16:20 — Guiding parents past misinformation and preconceived diagnoses 21:02 — What to look for in a treatment program: key questions to ask 23:41 — Closing thoughts: hope, seeds planted, and where to find Lotus Follow elev8.io on Social Media LinkedIn: ⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/elev8io/⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠ ⁠https://www.instagram.com/elev8.io/⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠ ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@elev8_io⁠⁠ Guest Details Gary Hazy CEO & Executive Director, Lotus Behavioral Health LinkedIn: ⁠ ⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/garyhazy/⁠ Website: ⁠ ⁠ ⁠https://www.lotusbh.org/⁠ Resources & Links Learn more about elev8.io: ⁠ https://elev8.io⁠ Patient Acquisition ROI & Census Growth Calculator: ⁠ https://growthcalculator.elev8.io⁠ Have a topic in mind? Suggest it and explore more episodes: ⁠ https://elev8.io/podcast/⁠

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  Episode #24

  24 | AI, Automation & the Future of Behavioral Health: Ritten CEO Noah Whitehead on What Comes Next

  Sep 9, 202635 min

  Should Behavioral Health executives build around one integrated technology platform or assemble a best-in-class technology stack? elev8 Podcast host Gary Garth asked this of Noah Whitehead, Co-founder and CEO of Ritten, an EMR and practice management software vendor. Top of mind for Noah? Technology should solve problems, not become another one. Many providers are small businesses. Their ability to synthesize their requirements and then mold the tools to what they need is a big challenge. There are many tools, but providers are not always able to use them effectively. Another challenge is that it's a fragmented landscape and often not integrated. This leads to siloed data and poor cross-collaboration or needed insights. And as for AI, Noah said that, like any technology, it's an ROI question. Is the problem important enough to warrant AI? If not, then no amount of good execution makes it the right choice. Noah explained AI might perform agentic routine tasks that traditional software can do, and non-deterministic, which can’t be done by traditional software. AI can be really good for both. But, in both cases, the problem must be real enough for the solution to make sense. Behavioral Health executives, Marketing and Admissions leaders will find this of special interest. Key Topics / Timestamps 01:39 – The biggest shift in behavioral health tech: the AI explosion 03:36 – Biggest challenge providers face when adopting technology 07:54 – Specialized tools vs. an all-in-one platform: how to decide 14:34 – Is the problem big enough to justify an AI solution? (ROI framework) 18:09 – The fastest-adopted AI feature: "make this better" buttons 22:46 – Where Ritten shines: RCM and billing integration 26:35 – Is your organization complex enough to need a platform like Ritten? 30:30 – Noah's #1 advice: solve problems, don't just buy tools 32:33 – If Noah were president of behavioral health: continuity of care Follow elev8.io on Social Media ● LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/elev8io/ ● Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elev8.io/ ● YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@elev8_io Guest Details ● Noah Whitehead Co-founder & CEO Ritten LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noah-whitehead/ Website: https://www.ritten.io/ Resources & Links ● Explore our Patient Acquisition ROI & Census Growth Calculator designed exclusively for Behavioral Health Organizations https://growthcalculator.elev8.io Have a topic in mind? Suggest it and explore our other podcast episodes → https://elev8.io/podcast/

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  Episode #23

  23 | Scaling Without Losing Your Soul: Leadership Lessons from a Six-Location Behavioral Health Organization

  Aug 26, 202640 min

  How do you scale a behavioral health organization without losing the culture and mission that made it successful? In this episode of The elev8.io Podcast, host Gary Garth speaks with Todd Stumbo, Chief Executive Officer, Thoroughbred Wellness and Recovery . They discuss hiring and culture at scale in an organization of six locations, roughly 205 staff, and close to 300 beds. Todd looks for staff with a sense of purpose, not just seeking a paycheck. Together they explore the key theme of leadership development. Todd connects his leadership philosophy to his own recovery journey, vulnerability, and continuous personal growth. He focuses on recognizing people’s potential and helping them grow. Todd believes in a servant leadership model where a leader's job is to serve the team so the team can serve clients by coaching, teaching, and helping people think for themselves. They also discuss the future of behavioral health. Todd warns about chasing margins at the expense of mission but doesn’t see these as opposites. He is also optimistic about AI and technology when they reduce administrative burden and give clinicians more time with patients. If you're a CEO, Executive Director or Admissions Leader looking to scale, this conversation uncovers many practical insights. Key Topics / Timestamps 00:00 – Intro: scaling behavioral health without losing culture 1:29 – What Todd is really known for as a leader 3:18 – Why culture matters more than anything else 6:26 – Vulnerability as a leadership strength (Todd's divorce & recovery story) 12:08 – Hiring for purpose vs. just a paycheck 16:12 – John Maxwell's "Law of the Lid" and leadership ceilings 20:15 – Promoting on tenure vs. true leadership potential (the nurse-to-hospitality story) 25:00 – Biggest concerns and hopes for the future of behavioral health (AI, outcomes-based care) 33:50 – The #1 leadership lesson: servant leadership Follow elev8.io on Social Media LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/elev8io/⁠ Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/elev8.io/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@elev8_io⁠ Guest Details: Todd Stumbo Chief Executive Office Thoroughbred Wellness and Recovery LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/todd-stumbo-mba-hcm-08a46355/ Website: https://thoroughbredbhc.com/ Resources & Links Learn more about elev8.io: https://elev8.io Patient Acquisition ROI & Census Growth Calculator: https://growthcalculator.elev8.io Have a topic in mind? Suggest it and explore more episodes: https://elev8.io/podcast/

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  Episode #22

  22 | The Agency Perspective: Real Solutions for Patient Acquisition | Recovery.com Marketing Summit 2026

  Aug 12, 202649 min

  Behavioral health marketing is changing faster than ever. AI is reshaping how prospective patients search for care, digital trust has become a competitive advantage, and treatment providers are being challenged to do more with increasingly complex marketing and technology ecosystems. Recorded live at the Recovery.com Marketing Summit 2026 , this special panel discussion on The elev8.io Podcast brings together three of the industry's leading behavioral health marketing experts to discuss what's actually driving sustainable patient acquisition today. Moderated by Signe Engelien , Director of Agency Partnerships at Recovery.com, the panel features Gary Garth , Founder & CEO of elev8.io, Derek Hyman , Founder & CEO of Scalable Growth, and Adrienne Wilkerson , CEO & Co-Founder of Beacon Media + Marketing. Together, they explore how treatment providers can build stronger marketing foundations, leverage AI responsibly, improve attribution, create more effective technology stacks, and position their organizations for long-term growth. Throughout the conversation, the panel shares practical insights on what agencies are seeing across hundreds of behavioral health organizations, why trust has become the foundation of patient acquisition, and how leaders can prepare for the next generation of digital marketing without losing sight of proven fundamentals. Whether you're a CEO, Executive Director, Marketing Leader, Admissions Professional, Business Development Executive, or agency partner, this discussion offers actionable strategies to help your organization strengthen both marketing performance and patient outcomes. Key Topics / Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction and the biggest marketing mistakes agencies help clients avoid 08:22 – The patient acquisition strategies producing the strongest results today 13:34 – AI, search, and how patient behavior is changing 14:45 – Building trust through websites, reviews, and digital authority 17:22 – What keeps behavioral health executives up at night 26:17 – The technology stack every behavioral health organization should evaluate 31:12 – Marketing attribution, CRM integration, and measuring ROI 35:46 – Looking ahead: The future of AI, marketing, and patient acquisition 44:55 – Audience Q&A: Why partner with a specialized behavioral health agency? Follow elev8.io on Social Media LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/elev8io/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elev8.io/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@elev8_io Speaker Details Gary Garth — Founder & CEO, elev8.io LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garygarth/ Derek Hyman — Founder & CEO, Scalable Growth Adrienne Wilkerson — CEO & Co-Founder, Beacon Media + Marketing Signe Engelien — Director of Agency Partnerships, Recovery.com (Moderator) Resources & Links Learn more about Recovery.com : https://recovery.com ● Learn more about elev8.io https://elev8.io ● Behavioral Health ROI Calculator https://elev8.io/tools/roi-calculator ● Book a Behavioral Health Growth Strategy Session https://calendly.com/getpatients-elev8-io/strategy-session Have a topic in mind? Suggest it and explore more conversations with behavioral health leaders: https://elev8.io/knowledge/podcast

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  Episode #21

  21 | Measuring the ROI of Alumni Engagement in Behavioral Health | TPAS Workshop with Gary Garth

  Jul 29, 202629 min

  Behavioral health organizations spend millions of dollars each year on patient acquisition, marketing, admissions, and business development. Yet one of the highest-return opportunities for sustainable census growth is often overlooked. Alumni engagement. In this special TPAS Workshop episode of The elev8.io Podcast , Gary Garth shares an executive framework for positioning alumni as a measurable business asset rather than simply a post-treatment support service. Building on the financial models presented during the workshop, Gary explains how behavioral health leaders can communicate the value of alumni programs in a language executives understand: business outcomes, measurable ROI, and organizational growth. Throughout the session, Gary explores why alumni should become one of the primary drivers of referrals, readmissions, online reputation, community engagement, and long-term census stability. He also discusses how organizations can shift away from reporting activities such as events and calls toward dashboards that demonstrate measurable contributions to revenue, admissions, and marketing performance. As patient acquisition costs continue to rise and competition increases across behavioral health, organizations that invest in alumni engagement, data infrastructure, and executive reporting will be better positioned to build sustainable growth while improving long-term recovery outcomes. If you're a CEO, Executive Director, Alumni Leader, Marketing Executive, Admissions Professional, or Business Development Leader looking to strengthen both patient outcomes and organizational performance, this workshop provides practical strategies you can begin implementing immediately. Key Topics / Timestamps 00:00 – Why alumni should become one of the strongest drivers of census growth 04:00 – The elev8.io Hierarchy of Patient Acquisition and why alumni delivers the highest ROI 07:00 – Understanding the Alumni ROI Chain and building the business case for investment 09:00 – Why marketing costs are rising and alumni has become more valuable than ever 11:00 – Speaking the executive language: shifting from activity metrics to business outcomes 14:00 – The KPIs every alumni leader should measure to demonstrate organizational impact 16:00 – Building executive dashboards that prove alumni ROI and support better decision-making 19:00 – Technology, CRM integration, and creating an alumni ecosystem that executives will invest in 20:30 – Using ROI calculators and benchmarking to justify additional alumni funding 23:00 – Audience Q&A: Why alumni teams deserve credit for readmissions and referrals. Follow elev8.io on Social Media LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/elev8io/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elev8.io/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@elev8_io Speaker Details Gary Garth, Founder & CEO elev8.io LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garygarth/ Gina Thorne, Executive Director: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/ginathorneconsulting/⁠ Learn more about TPAS : ⁠ https://www.tpas.org/⁠ Resources & Links ● Explore our Patient Acquisition ROI & Census Growth Calculator designed exclusively for Behavioral Health Organizations. https://growthcalculator.elev8.io ● Discover the elev8.io Alumni Planner — a customizable, white-labeled recovery planner that helps treatment providers strengthen alumni engagement, support patients beyond discharge, generate more reviews and referrals, and build lasting recovery communities. https://elev8.io/solutions/elev8sales/alumni-planner ● Learn more about elev8.io https://elev8.io Have a topic in mind? Suggest it and explore more episodes: https://elev8.io/podcast/

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