Emily Piper promoted to expanded executive role at Hazelden Betty Ford

Center City, Minn. (April 27, 2023)—The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is excited to announce Emily Piper as its new chief legal, advocacy and compliance officer.

Piper previously was vice president of government and external affairs for Hazelden Betty Ford, the nation's largest nonprofit system of substance use disorder treatment, mental health care, recovery resources and related prevention and education services. Since last October, she also served as interim general counsel and chief compliance officer.

"Emily is a highly regarded health care leader respected across Minnesota and nationally, and she has done a wonderful job leading a diverse array of important functions at Hazelden Betty Ford," said President and CEO Joseph Lee, MD. "Emily's experience and leadership, as well as her team's, will be crucial as we pursue our vision of empowering recovery and well-being for all. We are thrilled she has accepted this expanded role and promotion."

Piper is a member of Hazelden Betty Ford's Executive Leadership Team, with responsibilities that include law, compliance, government relations, advocacy, media relations and communications. She also leads several organization-wide initiatives, serves as corporate secretary, and is the executive liaison to multiple Hazelden Betty Ford board committees.

"I am grateful to be part of an organization that is such a strong force of healing and hope, and excited about the opportunity we have to expand our collaborative reach and help redefine excellence in behavioral health care," Piper added. "In this challenging time for individuals and families everywhere, we believe quality, holistic health care experiences are more important than ever."

In addition to her role at Hazelden Betty Ford, Piper is a trustee and chairs the governance committee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Board of Trustees, as well as that of its affiliate organization, Stella. She also is a trustee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation Board.

Prior to joining Hazelden Betty Ford in 2019, Piper spent eight years in service to the state of Minnesota, including three years leading the Department of Human Services (DHS), Minnesota's largest state agency. Under her leadership, DHS implemented Medicaid expansion and payment reform—including the most extensive redesign of the state's substance use disorder treatment system in memory. Prior to her DHS appointment by Governor Mark Dayton, Piper served as Dayton's general counsel and deputy chief of staff. Before that, she was deputy commissioner and chief of staff for the Minnesota Department of Commerce, where she also served as general counsel, focusing extensive efforts on insurance regulation and health reform implementation.