Cascadia Health, the Portland-based nonprofit focused on behavioral health services, has hired James Schroeder to take over for retiring longtime CEO Derald Walker.
Schroeder formerly served as CEO for Health Share of Oregon, an organization that contracts with the state to oversee care for low-income members of the Oregon Health Plan in the tricounty region around Portland. He also spent seven weeks as interim director of the Oregon Health Plan before going to work as a consultant — which eventually led him to work with Cascadia.
“Cascadia works with some of our most complex and vulnerable members in the community, so there’s lots of opportunity” to help, Schroeder told The Lund Report, adding that people with serious mental illness die 10-20 years earlier than other people.
“Being able to change that ... is a huge motivator to me,” he said.
He became a deputy CEO at Cascadia in October. On March 17, he’ll take over the top job.
Cascadia employs about 1,000 people and plays a central role in the behavioral health system in greater Portland. Schroeder's new assignment follows a year in which Cascadia and other nonprofits operating residential treatment facilities have faced financial challenges.
New state rate increases have helped ease those fears, but government agencies continue to be under pressure, Schroeder said, adding that “it’s going to be a challenging time across the board.”
Schroeder said he looks forward to working with other providers to align and coordinate services, saying, “We’re going to have to do what we can in the cost-efficient way ... That’s the best thing for our clients.”
The son of a Latino farm worker, he spent his summers volunteering in Latin America, which first exposed him to health care when he was working as a translator. He then became a physicians assistant and primary care provider in a low-income clinic, working his way into administration.
He worked as CEO of the Portland area Neighborhood Health Center and CEO and Medical Director for Family Health Services in Idaho. Schroeder has also served as a Kaiser Permanente executive.
Schroeder said he also focuses on behavioral health as a clinical provider and Deputy Commander of the 142nd Medical Group on the Portland Air National Guard Base, where he works about one weekend a month.
“James stood out for his vast experience, energy, and deep commitment to our community,” said Steve Jaggers, chair of Cascadia Health’s board of directors, in a statement.
Schroeder said he’s been focused on helping the nonprofit hone its mission to see its work in primary care and housing as aspects of caring for people with serious mental illness, its primary mission.
“We have the opportunity to really be intentional and set up services that work for that population,” he said.
Schroeder's time as interim director at the Oregon Health Authority was marked by efforts to collaborate and a focus on housing, but also came during a challenging time for the agency. His tenure ended at seven weeks and he left while pledging alignment with Gov. Tina Kotek's vision.
His new job gets him back to a nonprofit where the focus is ground-floor services. He said he's happy to be part of providing those services and helping Cascadia adapt to meet its needs.
Walker, Cascadia’s current CEO, is stepping down after 17 years at the organization. He also served on the board of The Lund Report.
“James is the dedicated and well-rounded leader Cascadia needs,” Walker said in a statement. “As I step down from my role, I’m confident that under his leadership, the organization will continue to flourish, building on Cascadia’s legacy of compassion, innovation, and unwavering service to the Whole Health of our community.”
