Episode 296: Reimagining Dignity in Addiction Care with William McKinney, CEO of Eleanor Health; Massachusetts, USA.

What if addiction recovery was treated with the same compassion, personalization, and whole-person care as any other chronic condition? We sit down with William McKinney, CEO of Eleanor Health, to discuss a revolutionary approach to addiction recovery that goes far beyond medication. Eleanor Health is transforming how we treat substance use disorders—integrating therapy, peer support, health coaching, and compassionate care rooted in science and dignity. William shares how Eleanor Health launched just before the pandemic, scaled during volatile healthcare shifts, and is now entering a rapid growth phase with plans to expand into a new state every month. You'll hear why this work is so personal for William, how the company is navigating stigma and digital marketing barriers, and why he believes Eleanor’s model could extend to other addictions beyond substances in the near future. Whether you lead a health startup, care about mental wellness, or know someone affected by addiction, this episode is not to be missed.   Here are highlights: -Revolutionizing Addiction Care: Eleanor Health delivers whole-person, compassionate treatment. They are combining therapy, peer support, coaching, and medication without stigma. -Mission-Driven Growth: With expansion into nine states and more on the horizon, the company is scaling with discipline, purpose, and community impact at its core. -Culture That Connects: Eleanor’s fully virtual model fosters transparency, inclusivity, and deep engagement powered by Slack, in-person retreats, and values-first leadership. -Marketing with Integrity: William reveals the challenges of D2C marketing in a crowded, skeptical online landscape. He shares how Eleanor breaks through with authenticity and real results. -A Broader Vision: Looking ahead, Eleanor aims to apply its approach to other forms of addiction like gambling, food, or digital dependencies to expand its impact beyond substances.    About the guest: William McKinney is the Chief Executive Officer of Eleanor Health, an outpatient addiction treatment program. William was most recently the CEO of Sevita (formerly The MENTOR Network), the leading provider of home and community-based specialty health care with 45,000 employees serving over 55,000 individuals. He led Sevita through several years of exceptional top- and bottom-line growth culminating in a successful transaction in 2022. Prior to joining Sevita in 2019, William served as president of the Integrated Care Group for Fresenius Medical Care, where he managed multiple business lines including Fresenius Health Partners, Fresenius Rx, and Fresenius Managed Care. William previously held senior leadership roles at MedSpring Urgent Care and WellCare Health Plans and also consulted for McKinsey & Company. William holds a B.S. in computer engineering and a B.S. in mathematics from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.    Connect with William:  Website: https://www.eleanorhealth.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-mckinney-9972087/   Connect with Allison: Feedspot has named Disruptive CEO Nation as one of the Top 25 CEO Podcasts on the web, and it is ranked the number 6 CEO podcast to listen to in 2025! https://podcasts.feedspot.com/ceo_podcasts/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonsummerschicago/ Website: https://www.disruptiveceonation.com/    #CEO #leadership #startup #founder #business #businesspodcast  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices