Renee Douthat has spent 15 years in the healthcare space as a Behavioral Healthcare industry expert. She was Chief Business Development Officer for the 11th largest Substance Abuse business in the country and built them from one facility to 11. She has also taken 13 Substance Abuse facilities from idea to profitable businesses.
Favorite Quote: “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” – Teddy Roosevelt.
Fun Fact: I ran with the bulls in Pamplona.
What challenges have you faced in your career, and how did you overcome them? The hardest time for me was balancing being a single mom and a C-level executive. I put so much pressure on myself to be great at both and always felt that I came up short. I don’t think I overcame this; however, I just came to accept that my best was good enough.
What has been the most monumental moment of your career thus far? Taking the risk to build Hatch and forming a team of really great people.
How is the healthcare industry important to you personally? I, like many people, have seen what undiagnosed and untreated mental health can do to people and families. I am very passionate about SUD and MH because it is still a ‘gray’ area where there are constant advancements in how we treat it, what we are measuring, and what really works.
How did the pandemic disrupt your specific role in the healthcare industry, and how did you adapt? The pandemic required all surveys, audits, and inspections to be virtual. We happened to be in the right place at the right time, as what we have done is digitize compliance. A lot of providers turned to us, as their compliance and HR teams could no longer feasibly travel.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten? Know when to quit when something no longer serves you.
What do you love most about working in healthcare? Hands down – the people we get to interact with.
