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Gainesville, Fla. – Meridian recently announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Don Savoie as President and Chief Executive Officer of Meridian effective January 1, 2020. Maggie Labarta PhD, current President and CEO stated, “As I wrap up 37 years, and 19 as CEO, I am more certain than ever that our mission is …

Meridian Awarded Meal Reimbursement from the Florida Department of Elder Affairs. Meridian Awarded Meal Reimbursement from the Florida Department of Elder Affairs. Gainesville, Fla. – Meridian Behavioral Healthcare Inc., has once again received the necessary funding to provide nutritious and balanced meals to qualifying adults clients receiving care at Meridian. Since 2008, the Florida Department …

opinion by Maggie Labarta/Special to The Sun What determines how healthy we are? We like to think it’s health care, but health-related behaviors and social circumstances are the biggest determiners of health, resilience and recovery. Mental health, too, is not just individual struggle. A community that promotes emotional well-being is healthier and its citizens more …

By Cleveland Tinker Goal is to avoid putting people in jail when treatment is a better option Local efforts to address mental illness issues in the criminal justice system will be the focus of discussion at a town hall meeting next week. The May 16 town hall meeting will feature officials from Stepping Up Alachua …

Longtime executive, at the largest comprehensive provider of mental health and substance use disorder treatment services in North Central Florida, will step down. Gainesville, Fla. – Meridian’s President and CEO Maggie Labarta Ph.D. gave her official retirement notice to Meridian’s Board of Directors on April 8, 2019. After 18 years leading the healthcare provider headquartered …

By Carlos E. Medina April 4, 2019 Panel: Behavioral health requires a more holistic approach to get people help earlier and reduce crisis situations. Much of the focus on opioid addiction over the last couple of years has been on the immediate goal of reducing the number of overdoses and deaths due to heroin. While …