By WJBC Staff
BLOOMINGTON – Chestnut Health Systems Chief Executive Officer Russell Hagen, who guided the health and wellness organization into a multi-million dollar operation, has announced he will retire next January.
“When I joined what was then known as Lighthouse in June of 1974, I had no reason to believe that I would spend the rest of my working career with the organization,” said Hagen. “And certainly, no one at that time could have envisioned that a small not-for-profit drug treatment program with two dozen employees and a budget of $300,000 would evolve into a multi-faceted organization with a $50 million annual budget and an employee base of more than 700 across the State of Illinois and beyond.”
Chestnut provides substance use disorder treatment for adults and adolescents, mental health treatment, a nationally-reputed applied research and training division on best substance use treatment practices, housing services for mentally ill and addicted individuals, consumer credit counseling, employee assistance services for U.S.-based and multinational companies and primary health care through two Federally Qualified Health Centers in McLean and Madison counties.
Hagen helped create the Lighthouse Institute research and training division that conducts human subjects research and clinical trials focused on substance use disorder treatment and aftercare. He also spearheaded the development of Chestnut’s international employee assistance program which today operates across the United States and delivers services in more than150 countries across the globe. Chestnut operates joint ventures in China, India, Hungary, Brazil and Russia and has a branch office in Belgium.
“Chestnut’s local, state, national and international reputation for quality, innovation and caring for its patients is, in no small part, attributable to Russ Hagen’s leadership and vision,” said Judy Smithson, Chair of the Chestnut Board of Directors. “Despite the uncertainty implicit in the health care and budgetary environments, Chestnut is well-situated to meet the needs of tomorrow thanks to Russ Hagen’s stewardship over nearly four decades.”
Hagen will continue to work on a part-time basis over the next two years in support of Chestnut’s global employee assistance program.
“I have been incredibly blessed to have been given the opportunity to work for a wonderful organization these last 43 years,” said Hagen. “Chestnut’s mission is “Making a Difference” in the lives of those we serve. That’s been my personal mission as well. I leave confident the next generation of leadership will continue to serve our clients for decades to come.”
The Chestnut Board of Directors will meet later this month to discuss succession plans.
