William Wood, M.D., Ph.D. brings over 30 years of extensive senior leadership in public and private behavioral healthcare to the OPEN MINDS team. Dr. Wood currently serves as a Senior Associate, a position in which he utilizes his expertise to successfully lead varying projects for OPEN MINDS. His areas of expertise include in-field clinical consultation, executive leadership, program innovation, and marketing to promote program development and public awareness.

Before joining OPEN MINDS, Dr. Wood served for 15 years with Anthem/Amerigroup in Knoxville, Tennessee. Most recently he served as the Managing Medical Director (MMD). In this role, Dr. Wood was responsible for the leadership of Quality and Utilization Management for the Medicaid and Medicare programs. He also supervised both the Behavioral Health Medical and Clinical Directors for the Government Business Division of Anthem.

Before acting as the MMD of Anthem, Dr. Wood served as the Regional Vice President (RVP) of Behavioral Health of the South Region. This position required Dr. Wood to be responsible for the Medicaid Behavioral Health programs in eight states, which included program development, standardization, utilization management, and quality standards programs. Before becoming the RVP, Dr. Wood was the Chief Medical Officer (CMO). Dr. Wood was responsible for developing and leading a behavioral health program for the Medicaid population, as well as decreasing inpatient costs by 58%. This was achieved through an improved utilization of community resources, diversion to outpatient alternatives, and efficient case management.

Prior to serving as the CMO, Dr. Wood acted as the Senior Vice President and Medical Director for Amerigroup. Dr. Wood was also the founding Behavioral Health Medical Director for Amerigroup. In these positions, Dr. Wood developed and integrated behavioral and physical health programs, and case management programs. He also developed the Rising Star program as a provider-payer collaboration, to improve community tenure and outcomes.

Dr. Wood has extensive experience as both a consultant, and a medical doctor working in private practice. Some of his consulting projects include the analysis of services and processes in working with indigenous populations, substance abuse, and interfacing with primary care providers for the Minister of Health of New Zealand, as well as the development of an education program and medication management program for Homeless in Virginia Beach. Other notable engagements include the management of clinical utilization reviews and audits for selected managed care entities and providing technical assistance for the Center For Healthcare Strategies on specific grant-funded projects for adolescents.

Dr. Wood earned his Doctor of Medicine from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. his Doctor in Philosophy in biochemistry was earned from the University of North Carolina, in Chapel Hill. Finally, his Bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Georgia Southern College, in Statesboro, Georgia.