(Photo by Shelley Hanson) Wheeling resident Jeremy Sagun is Northwood Health System’s new president and CEO.

WHEELING – Thursday was Jeremy Sagun’s first day as the new president and CEO of Northwood Health Systems, a company that provides behavioral health care to about 3,000 people annually and employs 500 workers.

Sagun, a Wheeling resident, has worked for Northwood since 2005 when he started there as a caseworker. Before being named the president and CEO by the board of directors, Sagun worked as Northwood’s director of outpatient services and chief privacy officer since 2022.

“I absolutely see us carrying on the rich tradition that Northwood has so excellently shown throughout the years by providing local, accessible behavioral health care to the community,” Sagun said. “Recently Northwood celebrated its 50th anniversary and we have an eye toward a strong 50 more.”

Northwood provides outpatient and inpatient behavioral health care in addition to residential and day programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“We have 35 facilities stretched across the five counties in the Northern Panhandle,” he said. “We’re one of the largest employers in the region.”

Sagun said Northwood has excellent employees.

“We have an exceptionally talented staff here at this organization,” he said. “Our providers, our clinicians, our management team are top-tier. We have recruited some of the best of the best.”

Sagun said Northwood is working to meet challenges that may come from new Medicaid eligibility requirements.

“That’s certainly on our minds, but we’re prepared and planning to meet those head on and move forward and be able to serve the region,” he said, adding about 90% of the organization’s funding comes from Medicaid payments.

“Obviously any changes to that would present some challenges for us, but we’re well prepared to meet those head on. We follow very closely the new rules and regulations CMS puts out and the Department of Human Services. They are still in the process of rulemaking for that.”

He added that federal and state authorities will first discuss definitions and rules related to new regulations.

“We try to be involved in those conversations as well so we can shape the space and make sure we’re ready for whatever comes out of those discussions,” Sagun said.

Patrick Casey, chairman of Northwood Health System’s Board of Directors, said Sagun was chosen because of his experience and more.

“He’s been with the company for 21 years. He’s been an integral part of management. I’ve gotten to know Jeremy over the years,” Casey said. “He’s been highly effective and a good communicator and is well-respected in the company by other employees. He was a bit of a natural fit. The previous CEO (Mark Games) mentored Jeremy.

“It was really a natural decision for the board, and the board is very excited to have Jeremy step in and take over the mission of Northwood.”

Games retired but will continue to do some consulting, Casey added.

“Jeremy is uniquely qualified and extraordinarily dedicated to Northwood’s mission, patients and employees,” Games said. “When I handed over the reins of Northwood this morning, I felt Northwood is extremely fortunate to have Jeremy Sagun leading the company into the future.”

Sagun started at Northwood directly out of college. He received a degree in psychology from Franciscan University of Steubenville and a masters degree in business administration from Wheeling Jesuit University. Prior to that he graduated from Indian Creek High School in Wintersville. He was born and raised in the Steubenville area. He lives in Wheeling with his wife Tiffany.

Sagun said when he first started at Northwood he never thought that one day he would become the organization’s CEO.

“I don’t know that it ever crossed my mind that that was the trajectory here,” he said. “Along the way I came to really admire the mission and trajectory of this organization. So I would say at some point I set my mind to one day, if not the CEO, but be a leader so I could carry that mission into the future.”

Northwood’s mission is “to be a world-class organization, dedicated to providing cost-effective, quality care for children, adolescents, adults and senior citizens with emotional problems, intellectual disabilities, mental illness, and drug and alcohol addiction. We are committed to helping people achieve their highest possible quality of life.”