Wohl has taken Princeton House from a single location treating approximately 20 patients a day to a 110-bed inpatient hospital and five outpatient site behavioral health leader providing services for more than 500 children and adults each day. Throughout the decades, his unwavering commitment to quality and a keen perception of community needs has guided the growth of Princeton House. Yet his legacy goes far beyond the expansion of services.
“Richard has always been a strong advocate of putting patients at the forefront of every decision we make as an organization,” says Peter J. Thomas, PhD, Vice President of Outpatient Services
at Princeton House. “His leadership has enabled countless patients and families to receive high-quality, compassionate care during very difficult moments in their lives.”
His tenure has exemplified the term “servant leader.” With his actions continuously focused toward the benefit of an underserved population, he also has shown tremendous respect for the many talented individuals who provide their care, and the highest regard for ethics and empathy.
“Richard encourages open dialogue, shared problem-solving, and a spirit of transformation,” says Marguerite Pedley, PhD, Vice President of Inpatient Services at Princeton House. “He has fostered a culture in which staff at every level have a voice and feel valued. Even those who visit us recognize that there’s a special tone of respect and empathy here. That comes from the top, and for this we are indebted to Richard’s stewardship.”
Wohl continually asks “Why not?”
Why not provide a new service? Why not focus on the needs of a special population requiring help? Why not find a way to provide the least restrictive method of care, even if it takes more time and effort?
For Wohl, the answer to those questions has been, “Let’s do it.”
Richard Wohl fundamentally transformed the size, scope, and depth of behavioral health programs at Princeton Health, including overseeing these notable achievements:
- Opened the nationally recognized Princeton Center for Eating Disorders
- Expanded inpatient service to 110 beds
- Began a co-occurring program in the early 1990s for those with both addictions and psychiatric issues
- Initiated First Responder Treatment Services for inpatients, which is unique in New Jersey
- Extended outpatient services and specialized programs to five locations across Central New Jersey, serving more than 5,000 patients each year
- Retained one of New Jersey’s largest departments of psychiatry, with 60 psychiatrists and advanced practice nurses
Pictured above:
- Richard Wohl and Director of Patient Care Services, Gary Snyderman, PhD, APN discuss plans for a 19-bed addition to be constructed in 2020.
- Richard Wohl with Jose Vazquez, MD, Medical Director of Hospital-Based Psychiatry and past Chair of the Department of Psychiatry, during the ground breaking for a major expansion of the inpatient building in 2003, which added 57 new inpatient beds.
Article as seen in the Summer 2019 issue of Princeton House Behavioral Health Today.
