We continue to build on our legacy of healing by providing trauma-informed, person-centered behavioral health and substance abuse treatment in a dignified and safe environment of care that meets adults and adolescents right where they are.
The former Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health, Marcia Fowler serves as the CEO of Bournewood Health Systems. She has extensive expertise in clinical programs, human service management, and budget experience in both the public and private sectors, including more than 18 years of service with the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health. A lawyer and a clinician, Marcia is a dedicated advocate for adults, children, adolescents, and families whose lives are affected by serious mental illness, emotional disturbance, and substance use conditions. Her work in the human services sector reaches across many disciplines and includes experience in direct care and supervisory roles with agencies and organizations such as the Department of Developmental Disabilities, Fernald State School, New England Home for Little Wanderers, Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries, the Foundation for Children with AIDS, and Polaris Healthcare Services.
Maria comes to Bournewood with extensive managerial and leadership experience in behavioral health. A licensed clinical social worker by trade, Maria has more than 15 years of experience working with children, adolescents, adults and older adults in inpatient and outpatient behavioral health settings. She has served as program director for the Senior Behavioral Health Unit at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Nashua, NH. Prior to that, she served as Chief Executive Officer at Haverhill Pavilion Behavioral Health Hospital in Haverhill, MA where she was responsible for leading operations of a 71-bed acute psychiatric hospital and outpatient behavioral health clinic. With a hands-on leadership approach, Maria is passionate about providing individualized and trauma-informed care.
A board-certified psychiatrist since 1991, Dr. Heinsohn has led Bournewood’s attending physician staff for 14 years. Her administrative and clinical expertise is wide-ranging with many years of experience as medical director at other area hospitals and director of psychiatric emergency services at the former Boston City Hospital (now the Boston Medical Center). Her role at Bournewood includes oversight of Boston University psychiatric residents and medical students who train at Bournewood Hospital. Dr. Heinsohn is dedicated to reducing and preventing the use of restraint in the treatment milieu, prompting the Department of Mental Health, Bournewood’s licensing authority, to recognize the hospital with exemplary effort. Her deep commitment to dignified and respectful patient care has established Bournewood services and programs as a leader in patient-first approaches to care. In addition to her leadership role, Dr. Heinsohn oversees patient care and treatment and all clinical programs at Bournewood, often providing direct care for patients and consultation to attending psychiatrists throughout the hospital system.
Michael Gale has led Bournewood’s financial operations since 1990, building a responsive team and infrastructure that supports the organization’s continued growth and expansion through the years. With a keen eye for healthcare trends, Gale has been instrumental at integrating the rapidly changing landscape of healthcare economics with Bournewood’s mission of delivering excellent and compassionate treatment and care. His deep knowledge of federal and state behavioral health policy and political matters guides and assures Bournewood’s position as a solid presence among psychiatric hospitals in Massachusetts.
Hana Obernesser attended St. Lawrence University where she received a bachelor of science in psychology. After seven years of consulting in a Boston human resources firm, Hana changed her focus to nursing, a more people-centered profession. She enrolled in an accelerated bachelor of science in the nursing program at the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions in Charlestown, MA. Hana then joined Bournewood in 2014. She began her Bournewood tenure as a staff nurse on the adolescent intensive treatment unit. Although she loved working with adolescents, she sought experience in a medical setting as well and worked part time at St. Anne’s Hospital and Lahey Hospital on medical-surgical and telemetry floors. With her increased medical knowledge, Hana returned full time to Bournewood as a nursing supervisor and the evening charge nurse on the Khan Intensive Treatment Unit. Prior to her appointment as Chief Nursing Officer, Hana served as nurse manager. Hana is dedicated to progressing Bournewood’s values of trauma-informed care. She is passionate about supporting the staff of the Nursing Department and staff across the hospital in advancing the mission, vision and core values of our organization.
Anna is a communications strategist with more than 35 years of experience in journalism, organizational and leadership communications, community outreach, media relations and marketing and public relations expertise in government, non-profit and private sectors, especially in the behavioral health care space. At the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health as communications director for 15 years, Anna used her expertise to raise the voices of individuals and families living with serious mental health conditions. She is passionate about preventing suicide and in 2001, was an original founding member of the Massachusetts Coalition for Suicide Prevention. Through her work and in her personal life, she champions tolerance and social justice for individuals marginalized by trauma, psychiatric and substance use conditions.
Since 1884, Bournewood has been dedicated to providing compassionate mental health and substance use treatment services. Today, we’re more committed than ever to helping you, your loved one, or your patient heal.
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