Menu
President & CEO
COO
SVP Corporate Development
SVP of Clinical Development
Steve is the Founder, President and CEO of SUN Behavioral Health, an operator of psychiatric hospitals and related services across the country. SUN was created to fill a shortage of services for patients suffering from mental illness and substance use disorders. The Company is guided by a double bottom line vision – create a positive social impact in a financially viable way.
Prior to Founding SUN, Steve helped to build Ascend Health Corporation into the nation‘s largest private psychiatric hospital provider with nine facilities and over 800 beds. As the CFO, he led Ascend’s development of five new freestanding psychiatric hospitals and acquisitions four existing behavioral health facilities.
Prior to Ascend, Steve spent eight years at Goldman, Sachs & Co. as an investment banker in the Healthcare Investment Banking and Leveraged Finance groups where he earned extensive experience advising on mergers and acquisitions as well as debt and equity financings.
Steve started his career more than twenty years ago as a mutual fund analyst responsible for healthcare investments where he earned the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. He earned a BA from the University of Texas at Austin and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business.
Founded in 2013, SUN Behavioral Health operates hospitals that provide various behavioral health services to children, youth, adults, and seniors. The company’s services include inpatient psychiatric and substance abuse treatment, partial hospitalization programs, intensive outpatient programs, 24-hour assessments, and crisis stabilization. SUN collaborates with medical and surgical centers, physicians and behavioral healthcare providers as well as local schools and social service agencies to ensure that its hospitals provide patients and their families with a seamless continuum of care that meets the highest standards of treatment. For more information, visit www.sunbehavioral.com.
Dan Thomas has over 25 years of executive management experience in behavioral health. Prior to joining SUN, he was the Chief Operating Officer at Springstone for 5 years where he led the growth in its portfolio from 3 hospitals when he joined to 14 operating hospitals and 3 in development at the time he left to join SUN.
Prior to his time at Springstone, he worked for Universal Health Services, Inc. where he held the positions of CEO of Laurel Ridge Treatment Center, San Antonio, TX, CEO of Del Amo Hospital, Torrance, CA, CEO of Carolina Center, Greenville, SC, CEO of Horsham Clinic, Ambler, PA, President–UHS Management Services and Regional Vice–President Behavioral Health Division.
Dan has also held Hospital CEO positions with Psychiatric Solutions, Inc., Charter Behavioral Health, Inc., and United Psychiatric Group, Inc. and worked as a Professional Services Consultant with Comprehensive Care Corporation. He has a proven track record in start-up, turnaround, and the ongoing operation of behavioral health facilities at both an individual and multi-facility level.
Tom Rourke has extensive management and leadership experience in behavioral health including executive level experience in hospital operations and in development of healthcare facilities. He brings considerable experience and expertise in leading the corporate development efforts of proprietary companies and non-profit health systems.
Tom has served in senior executive roles for Mental Health Management, United Psychiatric Group, Charter Medical, Universal Health Services, Heartland Health, Psychiatric Solutions, Ascend Health and Springstone. His scope of positions has included clinical management, hospital administration and healthcare development.
Tom has excelled in the behavioral health space in facility development through the identification of markets, assessment of needs, facility development which has included the management of start-ups and overseeing on-going operations.
With strong capabilities in the development of collaborative relationships with key stakeholders, Tom has guided and orchestrated teams to meet or exceed expected results. Through the integration of his clinical background, operational experience, and development achievements, he brings a unique skill set to guide the corporate development efforts of SUN Behavioral in serving unmet needs.
Tom completed his mater degree in Social Work from the University of Texas at Arlington and was recognized as an Esteemed Alumni of the School of Social Work in 2010 and as a Distinguished Alumni of the University of Texas at Arlington that same year.
Tonya began her psychiatric nursing career in the early 1990’s in direct patient care and has worked in both for-profit and non-profit organizations. She worked in the Behavioral Health Managed Care for many years where she obtained a thorough understanding of the collaborative relationship between the patient and the medical team. Tonya transitioned into the administrative side of healthcare with roles that focused on regulatory compliance, quality outcomes and nursing leadership.
Her philosophy on the patient experience and value in the relationship that exists between the patient, family and their nurse has driven her focus over the last several years. Her most recent role prior to SUN, was the Chief Nursing Officer for Springstone, Inc., where her focus was on the successful start-up of 16 freestanding behavioral health hospitals, nursing and regulatory compliance.
