HMC Appoints John Kovalchik Manager of Center for Behavioral Health

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Medical Center (HMC) has announced the appointment of John Kovalchik as manager of the hospital’s Center for Behavioral Health.

With extensive experience leading services in healthcare, community-based behavioral health, and child welfare, Kovalchik will spearhead the delivery of the Center’s Outpatient Services as well as the facility’s Partial Hospitalization and Intensive Outpatient Program.

“We are pleased to welcome John to this key role at Holyoke Medical Center. His experience managing clinical and outpatient services makes him uniquely qualified to support the Center for Behavioral Health,” said Spiros Hatiras, HMC’s president and CEO.

Added Kovalchik, “I am honored to join Holyoke Medical Center. I am committed to relentlessly partnering across hospital departments and community-based organizations to ensure that the clients of our programming and services receive the quality care they need at a difficult time. This includes building on our success and working to improve patient navigation and user experience.”

The Center for Behavioral Health’s psychiatric services and array of programs support individuals, families, and groups. These include access to smoking-cessation programs, treatment for gambling addiction, group-based sessions, psychiatric evaluation, medication management, and family interventions.

Holyoke Medical Center’s Behavioral Health division has seen more than 17,000 patient visits over the past calendar year.

Kovalchik was most recently director of Clinical Services at the Children’s Study Home in Springfield, where he directed all clinical programming and served as a member of the organization’s senior leadership team. He received his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Western New England University in 1992 and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Connecticut in 1998.