Leadership, Compliance, and Expanding Access in Eating Disorder Care with Susan Barrett of Monte Nido 1-13-26

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Becker Business

Episode: Leadership, Compliance, and Expanding Access in Eating Disorder Care

Host: Scott Becker
Guest: Susan Barrett, General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer, Monte Nido
Release Date: January 13, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode features a deep dive into leadership, regulatory trends, and patient access in the eating disorder care sector. Scott Becker interviews Susan Barrett—General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at Monte Nido—about her career trajectory, Monte Nido’s growth and focus, current industry challenges, and the evolving role of technology and AI in behavioral health.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to Monte Nido and Susan Barrett

• Monte Nido is a top provider of eating disorder treatment with roughly 50 physical sites and a growing virtual presence across the US.

  • Quote (Susan Barrett, 00:37):

    "We are a leading provider of eating disorder treatment...inpatient, residential, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and more recently, outpatient levels of care as well."

• Comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach: psychiatrists, therapists, dietitians, nurses, recovery coaches—a “rewarding” environment due to the impact on clients facing a “pretty deadly mental health disease.”

2. Growth & Strategic Focus for 2026

• Company is ambitious about broadening access— both in-person and virtually.

• Recent leadership updates: Andy Blankemeyer appointed CEO, addition of two “deep expertise” board members.

• Positive metrics: 2025 outcomes report shows “really strong symptom reduction and client satisfaction.”

  • Quote (Susan Barrett, 02:07):

    “It’s a good time to be a part of the behavioral health space, in my opinion, because there’s so many people to reach here, and I think it’s exciting for the company to continue to grow.”

3. Leadership Insights & Advice

• Core leadership value: Building relationships and trust is as important as technical skill.

• Susan’s approach: Be responsive and accessible, so colleagues can confidently bring concerns, and she can “internalize their problems.”

• Advocates for a proactive, approachable compliance and legal leadership style.

  • Quote (Susan Barrett, 04:04):

    “You have to build relationships and trust with the people that you work with...I want people to feel that they can reach out to me at any time with any question or concern.”

• Being the only attorney at Monte Nido increases the imperative for trust and accessibility.

4. Top Trends in Eating Disorder Care

• Constant monitoring of regulatory changes: judicial decisions, executive orders, EEOC, and HIPAA developments.

• Rapidly evolving legal landscape—daily review is essential.

• Emphasis on being proactive by training staff and updating policies swiftly to stay compliant.

  • Quote (Susan Barrett, 06:06):

    “I do a daily review of...the current administration and any impact on the healthcare sector...constantly, you know, reviewing and seeing how that’s evolving and impacting us.”

• Technology & AI: Increasingly central in care delivery and operational efficiency.

• Ensuring compliance with privacy (HIPAA) and other regulations while leveraging AI.

5. Internet, AI, and Patient-Family Dynamics

• Challenge: Patients and families often consult online resources and AI tools (like ChatGPT), which can spread both helpful and misleading information.

• Response: Monte Nido strives for transparency, open communication, and collaboration with outside providers to ensure families get medically sound information.

  • Quote (Susan Barrett, 08:14):

    “The Internet and AI is a great thing, right? In my opinion we can use it to really enhance the patient care experience...there’s also some dangers, what you just mentioned, on misconceptions from what you read online.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Leadership:
  “Build that trust with your colleagues; when it comes to a situation where they are stuck, you want them to look to you as a resource.” (Susan Barrett, 05:20)

• On AI & Compliance:
  “You kind of have to be on top of the latest laws and regulations related to the use of technology and AI. I mean, it’s a hot topic right now.” (Susan Barrett, 06:54)

• On Company Culture:
  “Everyone that I work with is super passionate about what we’re doing...we can continue the good services, the good outcomes, and just continue to reach more people.” (Susan Barrett, 02:58)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:37 — Susan Barrett introduces herself and Monte Nido's comprehensive care model
• 02:07 — Strategic growth, leadership transitions, and 2025 outcomes report
• 04:04 — Susan’s leadership philosophy and advice for emerging leaders
• 06:06 — Regulatory and legal trends impacting eating disorder care
• 07:44 — Challenges and opportunities in integrating AI and online information for patients and families
• 08:14 — The dual-edged role of the internet and AI in patient care and information accuracy

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Conclusion & Final Thoughts

Scott Becker closes by commending Susan Barrett’s leadership and Monte Nido’s mission-driven work. The episode offers practical insights into navigating complex compliance requirements while maintaining empathy, communication, and forward-thinking leadership in behavioral health.

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Transcript

[A]

This is Scott Becker with the Becker Business and the Becker Private Equity podcast. This will also be a special combined episode with Becker's Healthcare. This episode today we're going to feature a brilliant woman leader, Susan Barrett, who's a general counsel and chief compliance officer of a company called Montenido. Montenido is in the eating disorder area. She's a brilliant leader. We'll talk a little bit about her career, about what Montenido does, where they're most focused, the trends are watching, and a lot more. Susan, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about Montenido?

[B]

Yeah, absolutely. So, yeah, I'm Susan Barrett. I am the general counsel and the chief compliance officer at Montenido. We are a leading provider of eating disorder treatment. So we have services through approximately 50 brick and mortar locations, as well as virtually across the U.S. so we're doing every level of care here. It's inpatient, residential, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and more recently, outpatient levels of care as well. So it's a comprehensive staff. We have psychiatrists, other allied healthcare providers, like nurse practitioners and therapists, registered dietitians, nurses, recovery coaches, you know, all. All of them play a part in the recovery journey. So I've been with the company for a little over three years now. It's an excellent place to work, smart, passionate colleagues, and just from a personal standpoint, it's pretty rewarding just given the number of clients that we've helped recover from eating disorders, which is a pretty deadly mental health disease.

[A]

So, so fascinating sort of growth story for. For the. For the company, for Montenido in an area where there's so much prevalence and so much challenge and so important. Talk about, as you head into 2026, what are you most focused on and excited about at Montenido?

[B]

Yeah, I'm excited about, you know, the continued opportunity to increase the access to care both, you know, brick and mortar and virtually to reach more patients that are in need of the services. So, you know, last year we had Andy Blankemeyer. He was appointed our CEO. He's really passionate about the work that we do. Really two new board members. They really deep expertise in healthcare and behavioral health. We had our, you know, 2025 outcomes report, which all of that showed really strong symptom reduction and client satisfaction. So I expect all of this to continue. It's a good time to be a part of the behavioral health space, in my opinion, because there's so many people to reach here, and I think it's exciting for the Company to continue to grow. And everyone that I work with is super passionate about what we're doing. So it's. I think we can continue the good services, the good outcomes, and just continue to reach more people virtually and in person.

[A]

I'd love to talk to you for a moment about leadership, because Andy Blankenmire is a fantastic leader. You yourself are having a fantastic leadership career. I saw recently you were named as a top counsel in a certain group, and congratulations. Talk a little bit about when you think about leadership, about what resonates with you, what types of skill sets and what advice might you give to emerging leaders. I remember Andy from, I think, when he was in Ohio before he was with this company, in a tremendous leader. But talk about, like, your own leadership thoughts, what you see in Andy, what you see in people generally that you would maybe give advice to on emerging leaders.

[B]

Yeah, I mean, I think from my perspective, you know, the number one thing is to, you know, work hard and do good work. That's obviously step one. But you have to build relationships and trust with the people that you work with. I mean, particularly in my space, you know, being the chief compliance officer and the general counsel, I want people to feel that they can reach out to me at any time with any question or concern because, you know, I want to be proactive in addressing issues. I want people to feel comfortable, and I want them to feel, you know, I'm internalizing their problems and making it my problem and being innovative with them to find a solution. So I think it's, you know, you want to be responsive. You got to understand the full picture from people. Don't be afraid to pick up the phone and just find ways to assist. And people want to have a culture of compliance. Right. They want to do the right things. And so whatever I can do to. To assist them, there's no, you know, I am the only attorney at the company right now, and anyone can reach out to me at any time. You know, it doesn't matter what I'm doing. It's. It's all important to me. So I think build that trust with your colleagues, because when it comes to a situation where, you know they are stuck, you want them to look for. Look to you as a resource. You can protect the company from risk and liability in those situations. So it's a. It's a unique position to be in, but it's a really important role for company to have, you know, a leader, a general counsel and, and. Or a chief compliance officer that has those relationships with staff members.

[A]

No it's truly remarkable. And in the eating disorder space, what trends are you watching currently? What sort of is top of mind in the eating disorders area?

[B]

Yeah, I mean, I think for me on the legal side, I do a daily review of, you know, the current administration and any impact on the healthcare sector, whether that's court decisions. Like for instance, you know, ninth Circuit just issued the appellate ruling on ecra. You know, we have the executive orders, how that impacts us, any actions by administrative bodies. You know, I handle all our employment work, you know, EEOC decisions, any HIPAA related with hhs. So I'm constantly, you know, reviewing and seeing how that's evolving and impacting us. And then if it does, you know, it's, it's determining next steps, whether that's training with employees, updating our policies and trying to be proactive versus reactive with the current administration and their impact on healthcare. I think the other trend for us, and really I think it's just anyone in health care right now who's in legal, you know, you kind of have to be on top of the latest laws and regulations related to the use of technology and AI. I mean it's, it's a hot topic right now. And you know, we want to increase efficiency in the patient care experience. So you know, in order to do that, you know, we have to be able to manage risk and comply with HIPAA and privacy laws. And you know, that's definitely a newer topic in the past year or that you have to kind of be all over because it's important for the business.

[A]

And I can imagine that every family, every person that has a eating disorder is also looking at ChatGPT and online resources and so forth. And are there challenges in sort of pushing through that and being able to talk to patients, talk to families about both combining converging the synergies of what they're seeing online versus what you folks are doing are those evolving issues.

[B]

Those are evolving issues. I mean the Internet in AI is a great thing, right? In my opinion we can use it to really enhance the patient care experience and I think there's a lot of value to it. There's also some dangers, what you just mentioned on misconceptions from what you read online. But I think, you know, our company does a really good job of being transparent with families having open lines of communication, having you know, good relationships with out outside providers so that you know, they're getting firsthand information and medical opinions versus just what they're seeing online, which isn't always the most accurate.

[A]

Thank you so much, Susan. It is a great pleasure to get a chance to visit with you today a remarkable leader and professional. I want to thank you for joining us on this combined episode of the Becker's Healthcare Podcast and the Becker Private Equity and Business Podcast. Thank you so much for joining us today.

[B]

Thanks so much for having me, Scott. I really appreciate it.