Dr. Maria Russo-Appel Named Chief Medical Officer at Providence

HOLYOKE — Dr. Maria Russo-Appel has been appointed to the position of chief medical officer of Providence Behavioral Health Hospital (PBHH). In this role, she is responsible for the medical leadership at PBHH, including the coordination of all patient care and safety, quality assessment, risk management, patient satisfaction, and improvement in healthcare programs. She also serves as a liaison between the medical staff and administration at PBHH.

Russo-Appel’s appointment at PBHH marks her return to the Sisters of Providence Health System, where she served as medical director for Medical Psychiatry at Mercy Medical Center from 2003-07. Most recently, she served as chief medical officer for CleanSlate Addiction Treatment Centers in Northampton.

Board-certified in adult psychiatry, Russo-Appel has a special interest in women’s issues in psychiatry, as well as co-morbid medical and psychiatric illnesses. She is a graduate of Mount Sinai School of Medicine of New York University. She completed her residency at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, where she also completed her fellowship in Administrative Psychiatry.

“We are pleased to welcome Dr. Russo-Appel back to the Sisters of Providence Health System,” said Dr. Scott Wolf, senior vice president of Medical Affairs, chief medical officer, and chief operating officer of Mercy Medical Center. “She is an outstanding physician with extensive clinical experience in both inpatient and outpatient behavioral health services. She also demonstrates enthusiasm and warmth in her interactions with patients and staff, and these qualities will serve her well in this important leadership role at Providence Behavioral Health Hospital.”

Added Russo-Appel, “it is truly an honor to be named the chief medical officer at Providence Behavioral Health Hospital, which has amassed a team of profoundly talented staff prepared to enact the newest models for excellence in mental-health care. Together, our overall goal is to create a continuum of healthcare which enhances ease of access for both physical and emotional care.”