Woman Tapped To Lead Betty Ford Center For First Time In 40 Years

Palm Desert CA

17 December, 2021

10:41 PM

Description

RANCHO MIRAGE, CA — When the Rancho Mirage-based Betty Ford Center for addiction treatment celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2022, it will do so under the guidance of Tessa Voss, the first woman to lead the institution. Voss takes the helm Monday. She will also serve as vice president of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation's California Region. She has devoted her entire career to the foundation, which includes the Betty Ford Center that was co-founded by former First Lady Betty Ford.. It's the nation's largest nonprofit system of substance use disorder treatment, mental health care, recovery resources and related prevention and education services, according to the organization. "Tessa has achieved a lot in our organization and embodies the spirit of humility, empathy and grace that is so important to the work we do with patients, families and children," said Hazelden Betty Ford President and CEO Dr. Joseph Lee. "As the first woman to direct operations at the Betty Ford Center, Tessa broadens the banner of our leadership team nationally and extends the legacy and pioneering spirit of our co-founder and namesake Mrs. Ford." Located next to Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, the Betty Ford Center employs 230 people, has 184 treatment beds and is in the early stages of a $30 million, four-year campus transformation that will expand capacity to 240 beds. It provides all levels of care, from residential to outpatient, and offers dedicated mental health services, virtual services, sober living residences, immersive medical and other professional education experiences, and programs in Spanish and English for young children and others affected by addiction in the family. Voss has been the executive director at the Betty Ford Center since October 2019. "It is a tremendous and humbling honor to lead our incredible family of caregivers, educators, alumni and donors, whose commitment to our mission during the pandemic has been inspiring and vitally important to the communities we serve," Voss said. "I'm a counselor at heart, committed first and foremost to the clinical care we provide, and am happy to say the Betty Ford Center is a stronger force of healing and hope today than ever before — with even better days ahead, thanks to our exceptional team and many generous supporters. We are excited to grow, build more bridges to the communities we serve, and continue expanding the rich legacy Mrs. Ford launched four decades ago." Susan Ford Bales, daughter of the late former First Lady and longtime member of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation's Board of Trustees, was involved in Voss's interview process and said she is thrilled about the promotion. "As a strong advocate for women, my mother would be so happy and proud to see a woman leading the treatment center she and U.S. Ambassador Leonard Firestone started almost 40 years ago," Bales said. "I'm also grateful to know how much Tessa cares about the staff at the Betty Ford Center, and how committed she is — like my mom was — to helping children and families. It will be exciting to support her as we transform the campus, expand services and accessibility, open up additional health care employment opportunities in the Coachella Valley, and celebrate the Betty Ford Center's 40th anniversary. It's gratifying to know the future of my mother's legacy is in such capable hands." Learn more at www.HazeldenBettyFord.org.