When Coverage, Quality & Cost Collide In SUD Care: What Leading Organizations Do Differently-A Caron Case Study
As value-based care continues to reshape behavioral health, provider organizations are being challenged to demonstrate measurable outcomes, strengthen relationships with health plans, and expand access to care—all while maintaining financial sustainability. For many organizations, success increasingly depends on moving beyond transactional payer contracting toward collaborative, long-term partnerships.
In the eighth webinar of the 2026 RECADEMY series, Lee Peterson, Former Executive Director of Revenue Cycle & Payer Relations at Caron Treatment Centers, shares how Caron transformed its approach to provider-payer collaboration. Drawing on Caron’s real-world experience, he explores the leadership strategies, operational changes, and data-driven practices that helped the organization align quality, outcomes, reimbursement, and access while strengthening relationships with health plans.
Throughout the discussion, Lee examines how providers can build trust through greater transparency, shared accountability, and meaningful outcome measurement. The session also highlights practical steps organizations can take today to prepare for value-based reimbursement models and position themselves as strategic partners—not simply network providers.
Featured Speakers:
Lee Peterson
Lee was the Former Executive Director of Revenue Cycle & Payer Relations at Caron Treatment Centers, where he led payer strategy, revenue optimization, and provider-payer collaboration initiatives that expanded access to care while advancing quality, outcomes, and financial sustainability. With more than 20 years of experience in healthcare finance and analytics, he has helped healthcare organizations strengthen financial performance through data-driven strategy and operational transformation.
In addition to his previous work at Caron, Lee chairs the Chisago County Opioid Settlement Council, helping guide investments to address opioid addiction across the community. He holds an MBA from Metropolitan State University and bachelor’s degrees in psychology, sociology, operations management, and statistics from the University of Minnesota, along with multiple healthcare finance and managed care certifications.
Stuart Buttlaire, Ph.D
Dr. Buttlaire is the Vice President of Clinical Excellence and Leadership at OPEN MINDS. He brings over 35 years of executive, clinical, and policy experience to OPEN MINDS. He has experience in both the public and private sectors of health care providing leadership and direction in health care delivery. His career has focused on advancing integrated behavioral health and addiction medicine through strategic innovation, system redesign, quality improvement, and sustainable policy reform.
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