Santé Center for Healing C.E.O. Announces Retirement

Dennis Wade Announces Retirement after Twenty-Two Years with Santé’s Sam Slaton Named Successor

DFW METROPLEX, December 31, 2021—On December 22, 2021, Santé Center for Healing C.E.O. Dennis Wade officially announced he will be retiring effective December 31, 2021. This retirement follows a long and successful 22-year tenure serving as Santé’s CEO.

Mr. Wade’s many accomplishments and impact include:

• Stabilizing a then 2-year-old treatment center evolving from founder-led operations to executive-led management;
• Implementing the foundational and aspirational mission, vision and values that guide the organization still;
• Building an organization on the cornerstone of integrity each and every day that became the Santé brand;
• Creating a strong culture promoting employee health and growth and an environment for those who need recovery from addictive substances and behaviors to find and experience the hope, health and healing found in recovery;
• Guiding the clinical evolution to a full recovery continuum of care including medical detox, intensive outpatient program, transitional living and alumni program;
• Successfully and strategically navigated all of the changes within the mental and behavioral health landscape over the last two decades and in doing so treated more people than ever in Santé’s care;
• Made the mission statement a reality… Santé is a provider of choice in the nation.

Mr. Wade was more publically recognized as a finalist for D Magazine’s CEO’s 2020 Outstanding Healthcare Advocate. Even so, he would tell you that he is more proud of the opportunities the Santé staff have made possible for Santé clients and their families seeking recovery.

As Mr. Wade steps down, he is able to do so with full confidence in the integrity and effectiveness of the Santé leadership team he helped shape. Comprised of 10 department directors and executives, this team has more than 110 years of Santé experience between them, and one of them, Sam Slaton MEd, LPC-S, MBA, MHSM steps forward as Santé’s next CEO. Co-founder and co-owner Deb Corley, PhD, LMFT, LCDC, LSOTP, CSAT, CMAT and co-owner George W. Straw, Jr. express their sincere confidence in Sam’s abilities, qualifications, and experience to assume the CEO’s executive roles. “We are proud of our distinguished past with Dennis. And it is to the future with Sam and the rest of the tenured leadership team that Dennis helped shape that we look for even greater achievements.” Mr. Slaton began his Santé tenure in 2004. In his more than 17 years at Santé, he has succeeded in roles across numerous departments including the Director of Intake and Admissions, the Director of Outpatient Services and most recently as Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Slaton has concurrently served for many years as Argyle ISD’s School Board President and previously as President of the Argyle Education Foundation. He has a Master’s in Business Administration, a Master’s in Health Systems Management, a Master’s in Counseling and a Bachelor’s in Psychology. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor and a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

An intentional, multi-year leadership development and succession plan from Mr. Wade to Mr. Slaton ensures the continuity of integrity, program efficacy and the steadfast focus on long-term recovery for those Santé Center for Healing has the privilege to serve. Mr. Wade said this of his successor, Mr. Slaton:

“From early on in his tenure at Santé, Sam took a keen interest in leadership and management. Sam demonstrated this serious intent by returning for a second master’s degree focusing on healthcare administration. He constantly explored with me why certain decisions were made and the reasoning behind those decisions. It was clear that Sam was very loyal to Santé and was quite astute in learning what healthcare administration was about from both academic and real-world applications. After several years of on-the-job training in a graduating progression of responsibility, Sam is now more than ready to take over the reins at Santé. I am very confident in his ability, his training and his dedication while leading Santé Center for Healing into the future.”