In December 2024, Newport Healthcare welcomed Brian Setzer as our new Chief Executive Officer. Brian comes to us from Walmart, where he was Executive Vice President of Health & Wellness. He holds an MBA from Vanderbilt University and a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Tennessee.
In this Q&A, Brian shares his “why” for choosing behavioral healthcare as the next chapter in his career, and explains why having access to mental health services as a teenager would have been life changing for him.
What’s been most exciting for you as you get to know the team and programming at Newport Healthcare?
I am so impressed with the depth of the connection that our team has to our mission and values. So many of our employees have a personal “why” that draws them to serving adolescents and young adults who have behavioral health needs. It’s inspiring to be part of a company in which people are here for the mission, not just the work.
People who work in the behavioral health field so often have that “why,” a personal reason for choosing this field that’s close to their heart. Does that resonate for you?
I was drawn to Newport Healthcare for this very reason. I struggled in my teens and 20s as I dealt with being gay in a rural town in East Tennessee. I made it through, but there were many rough patches. I think of the many painful days where I experienced little support and active bullying at school. There were no formal resources available to me and the few people who tried to help were well-meaning but unskilled. I remember that last month of high school as a day-by-day dance of just getting to the end, worried every day that my world was going to blow up.
I kept so much inside of me and developed coping mechanisms that were not healthy. It takes me time to build trusting relationships, and I ended up walling off people to keep them from knowing. That haunts me to this day. To have had access to Newport Healthcare at that time would have been a dream for me.
Is there anything you would tell your younger self if you had the opportunity?
I would tell myself: Keep looking, there are people who love you for who you are. You are strong, but don’t be so strong that you put up barriers that keep people from getting close to you. And, to steal a phrase … It gets better!
I knew that if I chose to leave my prior company, it was going to be for something that had a special purpose. When I started learning about Newport, I quickly learned how special this place is, and I knew I wanted to be a part of it.
Brian Setzer, CEO
Where did you find a support system within your family and/or community?
My family did not know about my sexuality until I was 21 years old. Fortunately, the pain of telling them was short-lived, and I felt supported in a way that I hadn’t expected. It was much tougher in the broader community, though, with very little support. I didn’t feel a sense of comfort in myself until I left Tennessee and moved to Detroit to start my career.
That move was the best thing that ever happened in my life. Within a week, I found a community that accepted me. I found my husband, Michael, there, and we will celebrate 35 years together this summer.
Why did you choose Newport Healthcare as the next step in your career journey?
I knew that if I chose to leave my prior company, it was going to be for something that had a special purpose. When I started learning about Newport, I quickly learned how special this place is, and I knew I wanted to be a part of it.
As Newport continues to evolve under your leadership, what are some of your aspirations for the organization, and for the services Newport provides for the LGBTQ+ population?
I’m intrigued to think about the possible outreach efforts, particularly through partnerships like the one that we have with The Trevor Project. Building partnerships with trusted groups like this will allow us to become trusted as well within the LGBTQ+ community.
But I think our biggest responsibility is to be here for everyone, not just LGBTQ+ patients. While I am gay and want to support my community, I also want to serve everyone. I’m excited to have the opportunity to build upon the great work at Newport, to create an even stronger set of programs to help young people of all identities, genders, and backgrounds.
About Brian Setzer
Brian brings to Newport decades of leadership experience across the healthcare industry, with a proven record of driving growth and business transformation. Most recently, he served as Executive Vice President of Health & Wellness at Walmart, overseeing retail pharmacy, optical, and healthcare delivery operations. Brian also held executive leadership roles at Highmark Health and Cigna, managing major business segments as president, chief operating officer, and chief financial officer. With deep expertise in healthcare services, payor reimbursement dynamics, and creating customer value, he is dedicated to expanding Newport’s reach to serve more individuals and families in need of the highest-quality care. Brian holds an MBA from Vanderbilt University and a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Tennessee.