Sheppard Pratt’s new location in Howard County is scheduled to open in Summer 2021

Sheppard Pratt today announced the appointment of Marina Cecchini, MPA, as chief administrative officer for Sheppard Pratt’s new Baltimore/Washington Campus. The new campus located in Elkridge, Maryland is scheduled to open in Summer 2021.

Cecchini is a seasoned hospital executive with experience in psychiatry, addictions, physical medicine and rehabilitation, home care, and medical-surgical hospitals. Her most recent leadership role was as CEO of UF Health Rehab Hospital in central Florida. She also is a noted industry leader and mental health advocate, having previously served as the national president of the National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems and the president of the Mental Health Coalition of North Central Florida.

In her new role with Sheppard Pratt, Cecchini will be responsible for the overall quality and delivery of patient care for behavioral health services throughout the new hospital campus and serve as Sheppard Pratt’s ambassador in the Howard County region. She will work collaboratively with nursing/clinical services leaders and the medical director to direct the operations of all clinical and support services at the campus. Specifically, she will partner with nurse administrator, Stacey Garnett, MSN, RN, and adult service line medical director Khizar Khan, MD.

“I am excited to join the Sheppard Pratt team,” says Cecchini. “The new Baltimore/Washington Campus will fill the ever-increasing needs of the community by promoting easier access to enhanced mental and behavioral health services throughout the region. It will provide critical programs and services, like urgent psychiatric care, along the Baltimore/Washington corridor.”

“Marina is a trusted leader in the mental health community,” says Greg Gattman, vice president and chief operating officer of hospitals. “Her broad range of expertise and experience will ensure that our new Baltimore/Washington campus, along with our team of experts, will be well positioned to care for those in need throughout the region.”

Cecchini earned a MPA in Health Policy and Management from the Wagner School of Public Service at New York University and a bachelors from Utica College of Syracuse University.

Sheppard Pratt’s new Baltimore/Washington Campus is a 156,000-square foot hospital with 85 beds and boasts unique features to help meet the critical mental health needs in the community. This campus will promote greater access to services and care, including urgent psychiatric care and specialized programs, like eating disorder treatment. Notably, the new facility will incorporate access to nature, a key aspect in Sheppard Pratt tradition, as a crucial component of the healing process.

About Sheppard Pratt

Sheppard Pratt is the largest private, nonprofit provider of mental health, substance use, developmental disability, special education, and social services in the country. A nationwide resource, Sheppard Pratt provides services across a comprehensive continuum of care, spanning both hospital- and community-based resources. Since its founding in 1853, Sheppard Pratt has been innovating the field through research, best practice implementation, and a focus on improving the quality of mental health care on a global level. Sheppard Pratt has been consistently ranked as a top national psychiatric hospital by U.S. News & World Report for 30 years.