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CHNK Behavioral Health Announces Evolution to OneQuest Health, Scaling a Nearly 150-Year Legacy in Order to “Transform America’s Health.”

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New Louisville mental health center opens as Kentucky faces shortage of care options

Kenton County Mayors: Rick Wurth of One Quest Health talks about expanded vision and need to ‘transform health’

Integrated care provider names a new slate of officers, honors a decade of service from outgoing President Jeffrey Sackenheim, and establishes a standing committee to guide its digital transformation.

 — OneQuest Health, the multi-state integrated behavioral and primary care nonprofit formerly known as CHNK Behavioral Health, today announced a new slate of board officers, the addition of seven new trustees, and several governance changes formalized at the organization’s annual board retreat on June 1, 2026. The changes mark a leadership transition for an organization that now impacts approximately 7,000 clients and family members each year across Kentucky, southern Ohio, and Indiana. 

The announcement follows the conclusion of Board President Jeffrey Sackenheim’s tenure after ten years of faithful service. Under his leadership, OneQuest Health navigated a period of significant growth and transformation, including the opening of two satellite locations in Williamstown and Louisville that expanded access to integrated care across the organization’s service region. Vice President Geoffrey Egbers and Treasurer Josh Ruth also conclude their terms as executive officers.

“The new roster of board members coming onboard is an exciting moment for OneQuest Health. The business, legal, and medical professionals who volunteer to lead this organization as members of the Board of Trustees are simply stellar human beings who are truly transforming America’s health and creating the kind of world we all want to live in,” said CEO and Chief Philanthropy Officer, Rick Wurth. 

The board’s new executive officers, who each serve two-year terms, are:

·         President:  Robert Simmons  ·  Messer Construction

·         Vice President:  Karen Morgan  ·  GE Aerospace (Retired)

·         Treasurer:  Melanie Smart  ·  Rudler, PSC

·         Secretary:  Charlene Erler  ·  Community Organizer (Retired) 

As part of the governance changes, the board voted to reinstate the office of Secretary, with Charlene Erler serving in the newly restored position. Robert Simmons, of Messer Construction, assumes the presidency of an organization whose integrated behavioral and primary care services reach thousands of clients and families each year.

Effective July 1, 2026, OneQuest Health welcomes seven new members to its Board of Trustees, broadening the board’s depth of healthcare, industry, technology, and community expertise: 

·         Dr. Latonya Brown  ·  St. Elizabeth Healthcare

·         Keith Durbin  ·  Little Owl Strategies

·         Derek Haught  ·  Yung Family Foundation

·         Reva Henderson  ·  Harris Products Group, a Lincoln Electric Company

·         Dr. Joe Kremer  ·  The Christ Hospital

·         Nick Recker  ·  Blue Alliance

·         Dr. Robert Tagher  ·  St. Elizabeth Physicians 

Subject Matter Experts Advancing to Trusteeship

The OneQuest Health Board of Trustees uses a two-tiered membership approach. New members serve a minimum of one year with a voice but no vote, learning the organization’s culture, treatment philosophy, and the infrastructure mechanics of the five-location enterprise. Full trusteeship then brings voting rights and a three-year term, renewable for up to three terms. 

The following subject matter experts are advancing toward full voting rights as trustees:

A New Committee for Digital Transformation 

Looking to the future of care delivery, the Board of Trustees voted to establish a new standing committee charged with overseeing the digital transformation of the organization. Keith Durbin, of Little Owl Strategies, and Nick Recker, of Blue Alliance, will serve as the committee’s inaugural members, bringing technology and strategy expertise to a function that is increasingly central to how integrated care is delivered. 

The following trustees will serve as chairs of the board’s standing committees: Dr. Bobbie Glass, Geoffrey Egbers, Deborah Ramirez, Sal Santoro, and Keith Durbin. Their leadership ensures continuity of governance as the organization advances its mission. 

“I’m honored to step into this role at such a pivotal time,” said Robert Simmons, the board’s incoming President. “OneQuest Health touches 7,000 clients and family members every year, and the board’s job is to make sure the organization has the governance, the discipline, and the vision to serve them well for decades to come.” 

OneQuest Health is a multi-state integrated behavioral and primary care nonprofit headquartered in Covington, Kentucky, serving Kentucky, southern Ohio, and Indiana. Formerly known as CHNK Behavioral Health, the organization carries a nearly 150-year legacy of service that has evolved from its origins in child welfare into a modern, integrated care enterprise. Today, OneQuest Health employs approximately 165 professionals across Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, Williamstown, and Louisville, and projects approximately 50,000 treatment services and 7,000 client and family impacts in fiscal year 2026. Learn more at 

 concludes ten years of dedicated service on the Board of Trustees, having guided OneQuest Health through significant regional growth and satellite expansions in Williamstown and Louisville.

, of Messer Construction, steps into the role of Board President to lead OneQuest Health’s governance and strategic vision across Kentucky, southern Ohio, and Indiana.

, a retired executive from GE Aerospace, serves as Vice President of the OneQuest Health Board of Trustees.

, representing Rudler, PSC, will serve as the OneQuest Health Board Treasurer.

 serves as Board Secretary, fulfilling a newly reinstated executive officer role on the Board of Trustees.

OneQuest Health Welcomes New Board Officers and Announces Governance Changes

Organization expedited through review for sixth straight cycle and has scored 100% compliance with all applicable standards since 2010; COA reviewers highlight clinical team's use of measurement-based care.

COVINGTON, Ky. (July 14, 2026) — OneQuest Health, a multi-state integrated behavioral and primary care nonprofit serving Kentucky, southern Ohio and Indiana, today announced it has earned its sixth consecutive reaccreditation from the Council on Accreditation (COA), a service of Social Current — marking 24 consecutive years of national accreditation since the organization's first review in August 2002. OneQuest Health, formerly Children's Home of Northern Kentucky (CHNK), was again expedited through COA's Pre-Commission Review process after receiving no out-of-compliance ratings across any fundamental practice standard.

COA accreditation is awarded on a four-year cycle and requires organizations to demonstrate compliance with rigorous standards of best practice across administration, management and service delivery. Every reaccreditation cycle since 2006 has been expedited through COA's review process, meaning OneQuest Health has moved through each reaccreditation without additional site visits or corrective action periods. Since 2010, the organization has scored 100% compliance with all applicable standards.

In a letter notifying OneQuest Health of the achievement, Social Current President & CEO Jody Levison-Johnson praised the organization as "outstanding" and one that "has met high-performance standards and made a commitment to delivering quality services."

"This reaccreditation belongs to every clinician, care coordinator, support professional and board member who shows up for our clients every day. Twenty-four years of expedited compliance isn't a formality — it's independent, national confirmation that the standard of care we hold ourselves to is the standard our clients and communities deserve," said Rick Wurth, Chief Executive Officer of OneQuest Health.

Among the highlights of the 2026 reaccreditation review, COA reviewers praised OneQuest Health's clinical team for its approach to measurement-based care and its use of patient data to inform treatment goals and progress. Results from 2025 reflect highly effective treatment across multiple evidence-based measurement tools.

"Twenty-four years of accreditation tells you where we've been. What excites me is what it makes possible next — expanding access, deepening our clinical practice, and continuing to earn this trust year after year as OneQuest Health," said Julie Raia, Chief Strategy Officer.

The reaccreditation comes as OneQuest Health continues a period of significant growth, including the March 2026 opening of a new outpatient facility in Louisville.

OneQuest Health will receive its formal accreditation notification letter, Final Accreditation Report and accreditation certificate, along with a plaque for display, upon completion of Social Current's final administrative processing.

OneQuest Health Earns Sixth Consecutive COA Reaccreditation, Marking 24 Years of National Accreditation

LOUISVILLE, KY – July 9, 2026 – OneQuest Health officially marked the opening of its brand-new outpatient behavioral health office in Louisville, expanding vital mental health and substance use services to Jefferson County at a critical juncture for Kentucky’s healthcare landscape.

Yesterday’s grand opening celebration comes as mental health remains a pressing topic across Louisville, complicated by systemic Medicaid funding cuts and workforce shortages that have left thousands of Kentuckians struggling to access timely care.

The grand opening began at 11:00 a.m. at Kosair for Kids on Eastern Parkway with public remarks and networking among civic leaders, healthcare advocates, and community partners. Following the formal presentations, attendees gathered down the road at OneQuest Health’s new clinic inside the Medical Arts Building (1169 Eastern Parkway, Suite G-58) for an open house, facility tour, and light refreshments.

Located in the heart of Louisville, the fully operational clinic is already accepting patients with no wait list. The location offers individual, couples, and family therapy, alongside intensive outpatient programming, family preservation services, and telehealth options.

Community and organizational leaders took to the podium to share remarks on the importance of expanding behavioral health infrastructure in Jefferson County.

“One of the things we’re committed to is catalytic partnerships. We have to partner very effectively with the city, with our state elected officials, with our hospital systems, with fellow not-for-profits, and certainly with the business community, otherwise we are not going to be able to accomplish what we want to accomplish.”

Dr. Mariya Leyderman, Executive Director of Behavioral Health, Mayor’s Office of Behavioral Health

“We are really grateful that we have another place for mental health…Behavioral health isn’t you go and cry in a therapist’s chair. Behavioral health is part of a city and a structure; it’s part of an entire system. If we don’t do behavioral health right, we can’t really do anything in a community or city right. So, I think it’s just great that

behavioral health is being recognized for where it needs to be, which is the front line.”

Robert Simmons, OneQuest Health Board President

“The story of OneQuest Health has never been simply about opening buildings. It’s about opening doors to opportunity, to healing, to hope and to healthier futures. From one location in 2010 to five today, our growth has been guided by clear strategic vision – be proactive, embrace integrated care, advance equity and build catalytic partnerships.”

Addressing the Medicaid Access Gap in Kentucky

The opening of OneQuest Health’s Louisville office comes during an unprecedented squeeze on Kentucky's mental health safety net.

· 3.4 million Kentuckians live in federally designated mental health professional shortage areas.

· 70% of adults with substance use disorders in Kentucky do not receive treatment.

· 54% of youth suffering from major depression go without care, while 10.7% of children and adolescents sought emergency room care for mental health crises in 2023 alone.

These gaps are exacerbated by significant reductions in federal and state Medicaid funding. Kentucky is projected to lose nearly $2 billion in federal Medicaid funding over the next decade, putting dozens of rural hospitals at risk of closure and forcing health systems statewide to scale back essential services. Because Medicaid covers 57% of all emergency department visits in Kentucky related to mental health and substance use diagnoses, provider cuts threaten to push the existing emergency care system past its breaking point.

Formerly known as CHNK Behavioral Health, OneQuest Health has served the region for nearly 150 years. The organization's strategic expansion into Louisville represents a broader movement away from reactive crisis care toward an integrated model combining mental and physical wellness.

To maintain financial sustainability while serving low-income and Medicaid-enrolled patients, the nonprofit mental health organization operates through a hybrid public-private structure. In addition to traditional clinical services, the organization offers wellness programming, Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) for local businesses, and life coaching—allowing commercial revenue streams to subsidize care for vulnerable populations. Recognized by the Human Rights Campaign for LGBTQ+

inclusion, the new Louisville outpatient clinic aims to provide a welcoming space for patients of all backgrounds.

Residents seeking services or more information about the new Louisville outpatient office can visit www.onequesthealth.org or email info@onequesthealth.org.

OneQuest Health is dedicated to transforming America’s health by championing a proactive, integrated approach to physical and mental well-being. Built on the nearly 150-year legacy of CHNK Behavioral Health, OneQuest Health empowers individuals and communities to move beyond reactive care, fostering healthier, more resilient lives through a scalable, sustainable, and empathy-driven system of care. For fiscal year 2026, OneQuest Health, is on track to perform 50,000 treatment services, representing 7,000 client impacts across Kentucky and parts of Ohio and Indiana.

OneQuest Health Board President Robert Simmons (center left) cuts the ceremonial ribbon alongside CEO Rick Wurth (center right), who holds the official mayoral proclamation declaring July 8, 2026, as "OneQuest Health Grand Opening Day" in Louisville, Kentucky. Standing two places to Wurth’s left (viewer’s right) is Dr. Mariya Leyderman, executive director of behavioral health for the Mayor’s office, surrounded by OneQuest Health leadership and staff.

OneQuest Health Opens Louisville Outpatient Center Amid Statewide Mental Health Shortages

COVINGTON, KY – July 1, 2026 – A new grant from the WHAS Crusade for Children is paving an easier path to mental health support for teenagers living in rural parts of the Northern Bluegrass region. OneQuest Health has been awarded a three-year, $23,000 grant from the Crusade to directly expand vital therapy and telehealth services for youth ages 12 to 17 in Carroll, Grant, Owen, and adjacent counties.

The funding arrives at a critical moment for the Commonwealth’s heavily strained healthcare system. Proactive mental healthcare is increasingly difficult to access in rural communities, leaving families with few options during a crisis.

“The treatment gap for Kentuckians with mental health, behavioral health, and substance use disorders is staggering,” said Rick Wurth, CEO of OneQuest Health. “Currently, 3.4 million Kentuckians live in an area where there is a shortage of mental health providers.”

While the national average sits at one mental health provider for 290 residents*, local rural shortages paint a much starker picture:

·        Carroll County: 1 provider for every 1,360 residents

·        Grant County: 1 provider for every 1,150 residents

·        Owen County: 1 provider for every 2,860 residents

These local shortages force many families to travel long distances for face-to-face care or forgo treatment entirely.

Local educators and emergency departments report a steady increase in young people experiencing acute mental health crises. Across the state, more teenagers are reporting prolonged periods of severe depression and anxiety, leading to a rise in school-based referrals and emergency room visits for self-harm and suicide attempts.

Left untreated, behavioral and substance use disorders limit a child’s development, academic success, and future well-being. However, healthcare experts emphasize that early intervention is highly effective. By expanding local access to telehealth and in-person counseling, this grant aims to help rural youth build emotional wellness, improve their relationships, and transition into healthy adult lives.

OneQuest Health, formerly known as CHNK Behavioral Health, carries a nearly 150-year legacy of evolving to meet the state’s most pressing healthcare challenges. The organization has actively worked to position providers directly within underserved communities, including opening the Griffin Outpatient Center in Williamstown and embedding dedicated school-based services across regional districts.

This rural expansion aligns with OneQuest Health’s accelerating statewide growth, which recently reached the Louisville market. The organization is celebrating the grand opening of its first outpatient mental health office in the Medical Arts Center at 1169 Eastern Parkway on July 8, expanding care access for residents of Jefferson and surrounding counties.

While the WHAS Crusade for Children grant is strictly earmarked to fund therapy and telehealth for youth in the rural Northern Bluegrass counties, OneQuest Health’s expanding safety-net network ensures that low-income, uninsured, or Medicaid-reliant families across the Commonwealth have an easier path to care.

To learn more about regional mental health care availability or to support OneQuest Health’s expansion, visit onequesthealth.org.

*Per County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, 9/24/25, 

https://www.countyhealthrankings.org/health-data

WHAS Crusade for Children Awards $23,000 Grant to OneQuest Health for Rural Youth Mental Health Services 

Chief Strategy Officer Julie Raia named to Leadership Kentucky Class of 2026

COVINGTON, KY – June 15, 2026 – OneQuest Health has officially announced the launch of its newest division, OneQuest Health Wellness, alongside an innovative Employee Assistance Program (EAP) test pilot program in partnership with SHP Architecture. The initiative marks a shift from traditional, reactive corporate care to a proactive model centered on whole-person health and accessible clinical partnerships.

While average corporate EAPs face historically low utilization rates of just 5% to 10%, OneQuest Health Wellness is designed to reduce barriers to care. By introducing tailored corporate solutions, on-site wellness components, and preventative programming, the division aims to reshape how businesses support workforce mental health.

The launch of OneQuest Health Wellness expands the organization’s comprehensive health framework. It introduces a suite of services that includes traditional outpatient therapy, as well as specialized life coaching and customized business-level EAPs.

“With our wellness practice, we see the opportunity to open OneQuest Health’s doors to the larger community and help address the care shortage in Greater Cincinnati and Kentucky,” said Crystal Leugers, Chief Programming Officer at OneQuest Health.

SHP Architecture joins the pilot with an already strong internal wellness culture. The firm currently provides its employees and their families with a corporate call app subscription, financial workshops, in-office massage therapy, and informal lunchtime forums aimed at destigmatizing mental health.

The Power of Proactive, 1-on-1 Connections

For SHP leadership, the partnership with OneQuest Health Wellness addresses a gap in traditional corporate healthcare structures. Company leader Jeffrey Sackenheim pointed out that an advantage of this new EAP model is the direct, one-to-one relationship established between each employee and a clinician.

In standard corporate assistance programs, employees rarely control who they reach out to for psychological support. The OneQuest Health Wellness model returns agency to the individual, matching workers directly with dedicated professionals.

Throughout the pilot timeline, the program’s usage and clinical efficiency will be rigorously evaluated. By focusing on early intervention, minor behavioral and mental health stressors can be identified and treated long before progressing into operational or personal disruptions.

A Flexible Model for the Modern Workplace

For OneQuest Health, the pilot is a strategic opportunity to study how modern behavioral health services can be custom-tailored to organizations of varying scale.

· SHP Architecture has 110 employees in total, with 80 employees operating locally.

· Data gathered during the test period will clarify which features resonate most with mid-sized workforces, enabling OneQuest Health Wellness to adapt the framework for future corporate partners.

· This commercial integration helps ensure long-term financial sustainability, allowing OneQuest Health to continuously expand care to vulnerable and underinsured populations.

OneQuest Health is dedicated to transforming America’s health by championing a proactive, integrated approach to physical and mental well-being. Built on the nearly 150-year legacy of CHNK Behavioral Health, OneQuest Health empowers individuals and communities to move beyond reactive care, fostering healthier, more resilient lives through a scalable, sustainable, and empathy-driven system of care. For fiscal year 2026, OneQuest Health is on track to perform 50,000 treatment services, representing 7,000 client impacts across Kentucky and parts of Ohio and Indiana.

OneQuest Health Launches New Wellness Division, Partnering with SHP Architecture for EAP Test Pilot

State commissioners convene in Northern Kentucky as OneQuest Health spotlights its commitment to culturally competent care

 — OneQuest Health will welcome the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights (KCHR) to its main campus in Covington on Thursday, June 11, 2026, as commissioners from across the Commonwealth gather for the agency's monthly meeting. The Commission's meetings sometimes rotate among major cities throughout Kentucky, and this month they convene in Northern Kentucky at the headquarters of one of the region's largest integrated behavioral and primary care providers.

The visit carries added significance for the host organization. OneQuest Health CEO Rick W. Wurth was appointed by Governor Andy Beshear in 2021 to serve as one of eleven state commissioners on the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights, representing the Commonwealth's Sixth District on a panel charged with safeguarding the civil rights of every Kentuckian.

Created by the Kentucky General Assembly in 1960, the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights is the state government authority responsible for enforcing the Kentucky Civil Rights Act. Its mission is to eradicate discrimination in the Commonwealth, and its commissioners — appointed by the Governor to represent Kentucky's judicial districts and the state at large — receive, investigate, conciliate, and rule on complaints of discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, and financial transactions. The Commission also enforces federal civil rights protections through its partnerships with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and its Education and Outreach Unit works to help Kentuckians understand their rights and responsibilities under the law. Meetings are open to the public.

For OneQuest Health, hosting the Commission reflects values that are woven into the organization's daily clinical practice. OneQuest delivers evidence-based behavioral and primary care to clients and families across Kentucky, southern Ohio, and Indiana, and it has built a model of care designed to meet each person with dignity and cultural understanding. That commitment has earned national recognition: OneQuest Health was the first organization in Kentucky to be recognized by the national Human Rights Campaign Foundation for its work in culturally competent care for LGBTQ clients and families, earning the Foundation's highest Innovator status.

"It is an honor to welcome the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights to our campus, and a privilege to serve alongside fellow commissioners who are devoted to equal opportunity and equal dignity for every person in the Commonwealth," said Rick W. Wurth, CEO of OneQuest Health. "The work of the Commission and the work of OneQuest Health spring from the same conviction — that everyone deserves to be treated with respect and to have access to the care and opportunity they need to thrive. Culturally competent care isn't an initiative for us; it's the foundation of how we serve our clients and their families every day."

By bringing commissioners together in Northern Kentucky, the June meeting offers an opportunity to highlight both the Commission's statewide mission and the role of community providers like OneQuest Health in advancing equity at the local level.

OneQuest Health is a multi-state, integrated behavioral and primary care nonprofit headquartered in Covington, Kentucky, serving individuals and families across Kentucky, southern Ohio, and Indiana. Through evidence-based clinical care, an expanded prescriber workforce, and coordinated services, OneQuest Health helps thousands of clients and families each year build an easier path to better health. The organization is the first Sanctuary Model–certified organization in Kentucky and the first in the Commonwealth to be recognized by the national Human Rights Campaign Foundation for culturally competent care for LGBTQ clients and families. Learn more at 

Maria Calles, KY Commission on Human Rights

OneQuest Health to Host Kentucky Commission on Human Rights for Statewide June Meeting

A Thank You to Jeffrey Sackenheim for a decade of service to OneQuest Health  - Movers & Makers

Table of Experts: Improved mental health care matters for businesses, employees, and families

OneQuest Health CEO Rick Wurth sat down with Pat Frew, host of the Inside Covington Podcast, presented by the Covington Business Council. Rick and Pat discuss the organization's long and storied history in Covington. They also discuss the recent transformation to OneQuest Health and what that means for the future of the 150-year-old​ entity.

Inside Covington Podcast interviews Rick Wurth, CEO at OneQuest Health

Visit our news archive to catch up on all the latest developments and activities at OneQuest Health that you might have missed the first time around.

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